


Just My Luck

by tiggertink08



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Minor Character Death, One Night Stand, Secret Lovers, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-17
Updated: 2019-07-09
Packaged: 2019-07-13 08:58:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 71,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16014620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tiggertink08/pseuds/tiggertink08
Summary: 23 year old Marinette Dupain-Cheng has been in love with her superhero partner Chat Noir since she was a teenager. Since they weren't able to be together, she had tried to find happiness with others over the years to no avail.While celebrating her new internship at Gabriel with her best friend Alya, she meets a handsome young man who bears a striking resemblance to her partner. Not usually one for casual flings, she decides to indulge her long time fantasies with him, and they share a memorable night together.Even though she can't seem to stop thinking about that night, she never expected to see him again. That is, until she comes face to face with him on her first day, and discovers he's none other than the famous son of her new boss.





	1. Hard Days Night

"Then at two o'clock there is a meeting with Madame....."

Adrien took a sip another sip of coffee, trying to shake off the lingering drowsiness as he listening to Nathalie with only half an ear. She was reviewing his schedule for the day, not that it mattered if he remembered any of it as she would be there to remind him of each and every appointment without fail anyway. 

His eyes roamed around the open design floor as they passed through, when his gaze landed on a head of raven black hair and a pair of brilliant blue eyes. His steps faltered and he almost choked on his drink as he gaped openly at the young woman standing at the far end of the room next to Phillipe. 

They appeared to be reviewing sketches together and as he watched, she pointed at the paper, making some comment that earned her a raised eyebrow. She looked around the desk in front of her, grabbing a scrap of paper and plucking a pencil from the bun in her hair. His breath hitched as he watched her glossy hair spill down around her shoulders, vivid memories  from a few nights ago running through his mind. She chewed on her lip as her hands flew across the page, sketching something out for Phillipe as he watched over her shoulder, an impressed look on his face. 

Nathalie must have finally realized that he was no longer listening to her, was in fact not even following her anymore, as she cleared her throat to regain his attention. 

"Nathalie, who is that?" he asked, pointing as surreptitiously as he could manage. 

The woman looked across the room, readjusting the glasses on the bridge of her nose. "I-I'm not sure. Probably one of the new interns." She looked back to him, her eyes narrowing suspiciously, just as the young woman looked up, bluebell eyes colliding with his green ones. 

\---

"It's beautiful," Marinette said as she looked over the dress design Philipe was showing her for the new fall collection. 

Just like any other time she saw a new design, her mind worked overtime imagining little tweaks and things she might do differently. It was a nice; simple, clean lines and a muted neutral color. But it was a bit plain. It needed something more.

Before she could stop herself, she was blurting out her thoughts. "What about zippers?"

"Zippers?" She immediately regretted opening her mouth, but Philipes skeptical tone and raised brow seemed to challenge her and she new she wouldn't be able to back down now without an explanation. 

"Um... yeah. Zippers. Or perhaps buttons? The dress is elegant and clean but a little hardware could add that little something extra to make it stand out from the others like it," she explained as her eyes scanned the desk in front of her.

Grabbing a bit of blank paper from a tray, she pulled the pencil she had tucked into her hair earlier and started sketching out the picture in her head. It was a very rough sketch but one could easily see what she was trying to do.

Taking the tapered skirt of the sheath dress, she turned it into a wrap dress with a slightly asymmetrical hem, held together down the length of it, from the side of the bodice to the mid thigh, by a zipper. The fabric draped in a cowl neck, formed by attaching the corner of the fabric to the shoulder with a large button.

"Make it suede or velvet, maybe a bronze zipper?"

"Hmm," came Phillipe's thoughtful hum over her shoulder. She held her breath while she awaited his verdict. "I like it. Good eye Mlle Dupain-Cheng."

She blushed, both pleased by his praise and the fact that he didn't appear to be insulted that a mere intern was making suggestions on his designs on her first day. 

Philipe smiled at her before his eyes glanced between her and something in the distance a few times and his smile morphed into a knowing smirk. "Well, it certainly appears you've caught M Agreste's attention."

Whipping her head in the direction he'd been looking, she'd been expecting to find the famed designer himself, only to come face to face with the man who'd been haunting her dreams the last few nights. 

Her lips parted in a quiet gasp as she felt herself flush from head to toe. Her fingers tingled at the memory of running them through his perfectly coiffed golden hair, and tracing lines down the smooth skin of his back with her nails. 

He appeared to be as surprised as she felt.

As soon as he realized she was looking his way, he quickly turned on his heel, colliding with the neatly dressed woman beside him. A comically horrified look overcame his face as the mug of coffee in his hand was dumped all over the poor woman. 

Judging by how she seemed more concerned about her wet notepad and tablet than her now ruined blouse, Marinette guessed she was some sort of secretary or personal assistant. 

"Oh my god!" she heard him cry from across the room as he frantically looked about for something to sop up the mess. "Nathalie! I'm so sorry!"

That voice. _Oh that voice._  It had spoken softly in her ear every night for nearly the last week, whispering dark secrets to her. It had made her shiver the first time she heard it properly, without the thrumming beats of the club, and even with an inflection of panic, it still made her shiver now. 

Philipe's snort of laughter beside her brought her back to the moment and she turned to see his nearly giddy expression as he continued looking between the two of them. "My, my. I don't believe I've ever seen that boy so flustered. He's usually so poised, I've often wondered what he would look like when his feathers were ruffled." 

His gaze landed on her again, pinning her in place as his suggestive tone, challenged her to deny him the answer to his next question. "Do you two know each other already?"

Her mouth dropped open as he mind flashed back to the night in the club when she had been out celebrating her new job with Alya and Nino had introduced them all to his newest friend that he had met during a DJing gig a few weeks ago. "We- uh- met recently. Th-through a - friend."

She thought again of his comment a few seconds ago. "Wait, I'm sorry, did you say M Agreste?"

"Yes, of course! _Adrien_  Agreste."

_Oh my god. Oh. My. God._  As the pieces fell into place, the room seemed to spin around her. _Shit!_  "Oh... I- I knew he looked familiar when I met him," she said lamely.

Philipe barked out a laugh before seeming to realize she was serious. "Oh, honey. You're telling me you met that boy and didn't realize he was not only the son of your future boss, but one of the most recognized male fashion models in Paris?" He raised an amused but sympathetic eyebrow. "Granted, he's more involved in the business side of things now, but he's been modeling since he was a _child_."

Marinette's cheeks burned, feeling very foolish indeed for not realizing who he was sooner. In her defense however, she was already a few celebratory shots in when they were introduced. "Truthfully, I always tended to pay more attention to the clothes themselves rather than who was wearing them."

"Spoken like a true designer." Philipe chuckled, turning back to her sketch and mercifully dropping the subject.

\---

Ladybug sat high among the beams of the Eiffel Tower, her face turned towards the setting sun, but her mind miles away from the breathtaking view before her. 

She should've known it was a bad idea. What had she been thinking? Marinette didn't do one night stands. This was why. It was just like her ridiculous luck that she would wind up sleeping with her boss' son just days before starting to work for the man. And of course, he would actually work in the office and not just drop by now and then.

True, his office was on a different level than the design floor, and his busy schedule kept him in meetings or photo shoots most of the time, but still. She would know he was there. That she could turn a corner and cross his path, or run into him the in break room. 

_Idiot!_

Why hadn't Nino or Alya warned her? They probably thought it was amusing. Alya was always on her case to date more and they both seemed to be rooting for her to get with him that night. 

She hadn't been expecting to see him again. She wasn't even interested in the man.Sure, he was gorgeous and nice, but he had seemed too aloof. He had nursed a single drink the entire night and when he did speak, everything he said was neutral and polite. In short, he was utterly _boring._

She had lost her heart years ago to her partner, Chat Noir. He had never said it out loud, just as she never had, but she was fairly certain he felt the same way. The only problem was the masks they both wore. They both knew they couldn't reveal themselves, for their own safety. They both knew they didn't have any kind of real future together. Not unless this nonsense with Hawkmoth ever ended.

They'd each found their own ways of dealing with the constant heartache that came with their inability to be together. She had dated other guys, hoping one of them might be able to move her heart the way he did. It never worked out though. They were always able to tell that she was hiding something. That she didn't really belong to them. 

That night in the club had been different. 

She didn't do one night stands. She wasn't really the kind of girl who could do the 'casual' thing. But to her alcohol added mind, the young man's golden locks and green eyes reminded her so much of her partners, she couldn't help herself.

As distant as he had appeared most of the night, he certainly hadn't put up any argument when she invited him back to her apartment, and together, they had spent a surprisingly passionate night, living out the many fantasies she had had over the years.

Even now, she could feel his hands on her skin, could still taste him on her tongue. She remembered the breathy moans he had coaxed out of her and his husky groans. She remembered how their fingers intertwined as he held her hands over her head, pressing her body into the wall with his own. His teeth grazing her earlobe and nipping at her neck. Her nails dragging over his back and muffling her cries against his shoulder.

Her eyes fluttered closed, her head falling back against the beam she rested on, as her mind replayed every moment of that night. She hadn't meant for it to linger on this long. It was meant to be a one time thing. A way to purge the fantasies from her system. 

Problem was, she couldn't forget. The memories wouldn't let her go, and had only compounded on her fantasies. If she were being completely honest with herself, it had been the best sex she'd ever had. God help her, if she didn't want more.

"Penny for your thoughts my lady?" 

_Son of a-_  She hadn't heard him land, the sneaky cat. He'd startled her so bad, she nearly fell off the beam. She opened her eyes to find Chat watching her with a bemused expression, stray blonde locks falling into his bright green eyes.

She instantly felt guilty for where her thoughts had wandered. It was another reason she had never been able to make things work with any of her past boyfriends. Even though she and Chat had never done anything together, not even so much as a kiss, she always felt like she was being disloyal to him somehow. 

\---

Chat Noir raced over rooftops, jumping from building to building, chilly air stinging his face as he moved. He needed to clear his head, and to his mind, there was no better recipe for it than good old fashioned exercise. 

He cursed inwardly at himself for not paying more attention to what Nino had said about his friend when they had been introduced. It wasn't as though it had been his first one-night stand. Not by a long shot; but he was usually so careful. 

He always did his homework before going home with a girl, he never picked girls he knew so little about. He was _always_ discrete, as were the girls, and each one of them was fully aware they would never see him again when it was over. 

His father would wring his neck if he ever allowed even a hint of scandal to touch the company. Besides that, even if she didn't know his true identity, he never wanted to throw his conquests in the face of his lady. It was painful enough to know she had been with other men, but at least they were all men who were dedicated to her. He wasn't nearly so noble.

He'd spotted her as soon as he walked in the club, long before Nino brought him over and told him her name. _Marinette_. Her dark, blue-black hair had been pinned atop her head in a sexy, undone way that seemed deliberate, and her blue eyes seemed to see right through him. 

She was vivacious and delightfully teasing, with a smile that could light a city block. She'd reminded him so strongly of his lady, it was like a siren call every time she looked his way, and he'd been entirely helpless to say anything other than yes, when she asked if he wanted to come up after walking her home. 

What were the chances that the one woman, besides Ladybug, he had found himself unable to stop thinking of, would end up being one of his father's interns? Even if he were able to give enough of his heart to actually date her, the girl was now entirely off limits. 

He had a bad feeling he would be spending another restless night, tossing and turning in bed, thinking about the way she had writhed underneath him, and how perfectly she had fit in his arms, snuggled to his side as they drifted off to sleep together. Another thing he never did. He _never_ stayed the night. It had felt so natural at the time, but in the light of day, he'd panicked and bolted from the apartment before the sun finished rising. 

Remembering the way she had clung to him, giving herself over to him completely, had him running even harder, as though he could banish the memory entirely if he pushed hard enough.

Inevitably, he found himself climbing the familiar iron tower to where he knew his lady could usually be found. Sure enough, when he reached their usual perch, she was there, her back resting against one of the beams, her head leaned back and eyes closed.

He landed softly, his sense taking in every bit of her from her parted lips, to her shallow breathing, to the arousal rolling off of her in waves. It was almost overwhelming, and called to him, hoping those feelings were for him. 

"Penny for your thoughts my lady?" he teased. When she startled, nearly falling, it took all of his self control not to burst out laughing at the undeniably guilty look on her face at being caught.

"Damn it, Chat. Don't scare me like that!" He grinned as she dragged a hand over her face, attempting to regain her composure. 

He prowled closer, only stopping when his face was mere inches from hers. Inhaling deeply, he smirked at her, still able to smell her arousal and she knew it. "Anything I can help you with?"

It was a useless question, he wasn't even sure why he bothered. They had an unspoken agreement to keep certain boundaries between them. As much as he longed to touch her, to know what she felt like, tasted like, he knew it would only make him craver her more. You couldn't miss what you had never had right?

She scoffed, blushing furiously and unable to meet his gaze. She put a finger to his nose and pushed him away, pulling herself to her feet. "Silly kitty, shall we?" Clearly she was ready to begin patrol. 

He bit back a sigh, suppressing his desire and rolling his shoulders out as he turned his mind back to the reason the task at hand. "After you my lady." He bowed to her, following closely behind as she shot out her yo-yo and swung away over the city. 


	2. When Friends Come to Call

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had this almost written but forgot to save the draft and then lost it all when I went on vacation. Of course, I couldn't remember anything that I had previously written and had to start over from scratch. *insert screaming emoji*
> 
> Bonus though, the delay meant I got to see the latest episodes (Sandboy and Queen's Battle 1&2) which changed my perspective a bit, so that's pry going to come in to play as I continue this. But, I finally think I have some direction for this now. 
> 
> Bear with me though, I promise there will be more Adrinette, and some very steamy scenes (several of which are already written and waiting ;) ), I just need to build in some actual plot first ha ha
> 
> Enjoy

_Fuck my life._

Adrien lightly banged his head against the door to his office so as not to draw attention. 

After that first day when he had seen Marinette on the design floor and realized his fantasies had just become a literal walking daydream, he'd done his best to avoid her. His vivid dreams had become progressively more vivid each night as his imagination presented him with new fantasies, several of which involved various flat surfaces around the Gabriel headquarters, yet he still denied himself the relief of so much as seeing her from a distance. He'd hoped time and space would lessen the pull he felt to her, but it had gotten so bad, he'd even resorted to a random one-might stand with a girl who bore a passing resemblance to her. It hadn't worked. 

His avoidance of her lasted the better part of two weeks until he found himself running late one morning, thanks to yet another real-as-fuck dream, and found himself standing next to her in a crowded elevator. He hadn't seen her at first, his focus solely on catching the lift, but then he'd registered the warm body practically melded to his side and looked down to find her pressed up against him in the crowded space.  _Great, there goes another new fantasy._

He didn't say anything to her, just stared straight ahead and tried to ignore the feel of her against him, and the tightening of his trousers. They rode together like that for several floors until the first stop, stepping out to let others pass before reloading, and standing slightly further apart. Neither acknowledged the other as the pattern continued and they found themselves moving further and further apart until they were on opposite ends of the lift, with only two more stops left. The design floor, and the executive suite. 

It drove Adrien crazy that she didn't seem to be the least bit affected by his presence as he was by hers. She didn't even so much as blush or glance his way, entirely undisturbed. It was maddening. Surely she could feel the electricity between them. It was obvious. Wasn't it?

When they finally reached the design floor, he was the last occupant, and slid around to rest along the back wall when the lift had cleared out. At the last second, he lifted his head for one last glance at her, and was pleasantly surprised to find her looking back at him. He almost melted into a puddle when the doors finally slid shut and had to lock himself in his office for a solid few minutes while he tried to dispel the image of those bluebell eyes from his immediate memory. 

After that, he'd given up on trying to stay away from her. She hadn't even said a word to him, one look was all he had gotten, and yet he would've given anything for just one more. 

It started simple, eye contact and a smile from across a room, a passing nod, even a simple "hello". Eventually, that wasn't enough either. He was a junkie who's tolerance demanded a stronger dose with each hit to feel satisfied. Next, it was short pleasantries in the break room, brushing against her in a tight space, and walking through the design floor for absolutely no reason at all, other than to see her. If anyone noticed his increased presence in the lower level, they were kind enough not to mention it. 

He was working up the courage to have an actual conversation with her, maybe even to ask her out for a drink, (you know, a proper date), when  _he_ showed up, and everything changed.

\---

_Fuck my life._

Marinette slumped in her chair, tossing her head back with a silent groan. 

She had done her level best to forget about him and move on (though her subconscious certainly had other ideas, if her nightly dreams were any indication). It lasted only until she saw him again. 

She'd been early for once, by her standards at least, and had snagged the last spot on the elevator, when his hand shot through the doors to reopen them and he pushed into the overcrowded lift beside her. She's blushed head to toe as he pressed into her in the tight space, and only dared to look up at him once she'd gotten herself under control. Not that it mattered. He'd been staring straight ahead at the doors, completely oblivious to her presence. With each stop, he moved further and further away from her, still not acknowledging her with so much as a head nod, let alone eye contact. 

She'd just about given up on him, convincing herself that she had entirely imagined the chemistry she felt with him until she got off on her floor and, at the last minute, decided to look back. He'd moved to the back of the elevator and was looking right at her. When her eyes collided with his brilliant green ones, she was frozen to the spot for a solid minute. Once she finally shook it off, she spun on her heel and promptly slammed into another intern who was carrying a stack of fabric bolts that was nearly higher than his head. 

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" she scrambled to help him regather his pile before scurrying off her to desk. Philipe was already waiting for her with a knowing smirk. He'd been teasing her since her first day about the young fashion heir, but today, he mercifully didn't say a word about it, and instead jumped right into the designs he wanted her to look over with him. Fashion week was fast approaching and they needed to finalize their selection of designs for Gabriel himself to review before they started production on the selected pieces that would be featured in the fashion show. 

Several of Philipe's designs were selected to be featured, thanks in part to Marinette's suggestions and tweaks. Or so Philipe insisted. In thanks and celebration, he had insisted on taking her out to lunch one day, about a month into her tenure. They had walked from the building to a cafe nearby that Philipe said was one of his absolute favorites. It was a small place, with a counter to order at rather than sit-down service, and they joined the already impressive line when they arrived. 

She and Philipe were discussing a game plan for the next couple of weeks, determining how they were going to divide up the work on the selected pieces, when a familiar voice called her name. 

"Marinette?!"

She spun around and came face to face with an aqua-eyed man with matching hair, that was grinning down at her from a few feet away. "It's so good to see you!"

"Luka? Hey! I had no idea you were back in town. Juleka didn't mention it." She smiled awkwardly at her ex whom she hadn't seen since he and his band left on tour 4 months ago. Of her exes, he was one of the few she'd had real chemistry with. She had liked him a lot, but he'd been too busy with his band to give proper attention to their relationship. For once, she had broken up with a guy because of his unavailability, rather than her own. 

"Oh, yeah. I just got in a few hours ago. She doesn't know yet. I wanted to surprise my family, but they're all still at work."

Philipe pointedly cleared his throat beside her, looking Luka up and down with interest. "Oh, sorry. Luka, this in Philipe. He's one of the head designers at Gabriel who I've been working with. Philipe, this is Luka my-uh-friend." 

Both men raised an amused eyebrow at the obvious misstatement, but neither commented. 

"So you got the job at Gabriel then? That's great Mari!" She had still been with Luka when she had begun compiling her portfolio to send to Gabriel Fashions and a few other fashion houses after she finished design school. 

"Oh, yeah! Thanks. I'm really lucky."

"Luck has nothing to do with it Marinette. You forget, I've seen your designs. I know how talented you are. I'm just glad they noticed it too. They're lucky to have you."

"We are indeed," Philipe grinned, obviously already taken with Luka, simply for praising his protege. "One day, perhaps, I'll be working for her instead."

Marinette blushed fiercely at the compliments. She'd never really gotten used to receiving praise. Even as Ladybug. 

Luka and Philipe chatted for a bit, the older man taking an interest in Luka's music, and Luka was invited to join them in short order. 

The line moved steadily but slowly, and not long after they arrived,  they were joined by yet another familiar face. 

"Monsieur Agreste!" Philipe called out, waving over Adrien and his companion. Marinette felt herself blush again when she saw him, and then flush when she saw who he was with. A beautiful, tall, asian woman with a neatly trimmed, black bob. They weren't touching, but they seemed rather close, and Marinette had to fight through a wave of irrational jealousy. 

She certainly had no claim on the man. Despite how he'd seemed to acknowledge her repeatedly, and more frequently, in the last couple weeks, she'd really only ever had just the one night with him. And besides, she didn't actually want him. Right?

Adrien's brow furrowed as he approached, his eyes darting between Marinette and Luka. "Philipe. How are you?" he greeted the older man with a handshake. "You remember Kagami, yes?"

"Of course! How are you my dear," Philipe leaned forward to kiss the woman on both cheeks, a gesture she returned with a genuine smile. "It's always nice to see you."

"Thank you, Philipe. You as well. I'm excellent as always." The woman's light brown eyes slid to Marinette and Philipe continued with the introductions. 

"This is my new protege, Mme Marinette Dupain-Cheng. You'll want to remember her name, she's quite a talented young designer. She helped me with several of the designs that will be featured in this season's fashion week."

The woman smiled warmly and held out her hand. "Kagami Tsurugi. Pleasure, Mme Dupain-Cheng. I look forward to seeing your show."

"Thank you Mme Tsurugi. But please, call me Marinette." She gestured to Luka who was standing politely by, watching the exchange. "This is my friend Luka Couffaine. He just arrived back in Paris this morning after touring the last few months with La Roche."

Kagami's eyes lit up. "La Roche!? Really? I love their music. Are you a musician?"

Luka's grin lit up his entire face, and Marinette was reminded what had originally attracted her to him in the first place. His passion for music. He was already a good looking man, but when his face took on that expression, talking about something he loved, it was worthy of the finest marble sculpture. 

"Yes," he replied. "My band Astres has been been with traveling with them. I'm the lead guitarist."

"That's amazing! You wouldn't happen to be playing any gigs while you're in town?"

"You'll have to forgive Kagami," Adrien interrupted. "She works in PR and she gets a little excited about meeting new talents."

Luka merely smiled and answered her. "We're actually playing this Saturday. A little bar where we had our first few gigs. You should check it out." He looked around the group, his eyes resting on Marinette. "You should all come."

"Oh! That'd be awesome! Wouldn't in Adrien? We should totally go!"

"Yeah. Great." Adrien's smile was strained and Marinette again wondered at the relationship between him and the woman next to him. He didn't seem too enthusiastic about going this weekend, and she couldn't tell if it was because he simply wasn't interested, or if he was perhaps jealous of his companion's enthusiasm. 

The line had finally moved enough for them to reach the order counter. They made their selections, and wandered around the outdoor seating, searching for a table big enough for all five of them after Philipe invited Adrien and Kagami to join their group as well. Marinette found herself wedged between Luka and Philipe and sitting directly across from Adrien, who's gaze was still moving between her and Luka, especially when the latter dropped an arm casually over the back of her chair. Luka and Kagami were happily engaged in a discussion about music, while Marinette and Adrien stole glances at each other and Philipe watched amusedly from his position at the head of the table. 

Their food arrived quicker than expected, and they were nearly through before the first shout was heard. After a few more, the people on the street nearby started to run. Immediately, they're party jumped from their seats, as Adrien and Marinette glanced around for a place to transform. 

"Excuse me, I need to use the restroom!" They exclaimed, almost simultaneously, and darted off before anyone could reply. 

\---

Once the akuma had been dealt with, Marinette and Adrien returned to their table, where their friends were still waiting, from opposite directions, neither of which was anywhere near the restrooms. They fidgeted awkwardly, speaking over each other as they explained their disappearances. 

"Sorry about that!"  


"Phew. Sorry!"

  
"I got a little turned around. Couldn't remember where our table was-"

"That akuma was crazy no? I swear, Hawkmoth has no respect for lunchtime!"

"I wandered around for a bit, but hey! I found you!"

"Glad that's over!"

"Are you guys alright?" The last they said together, turning to each other in surprise, while their friends stared at them with a mixture of amusement and confusion. 

"We're fine." Kagami said slowly. "Had a decent view of the fight, but weren't affected. I think we were all a little more worried about you, since, you know, you were the ones who were missing?"

"Ha, ha. Right." Adrien rubbed the back of his neck, while Marinette fingered the edge of her blazer. "We're fine. I mean, I'm fine. I'm assuming Marinette is as well."

"I'm fine," she said a little too quickly. 

"Great!" Philipe said, clapping his hands together. "Should we finish our meals then?"

"Actually," Adrien said, holding out his hand to Kagami. "We were just about finished anyways and we've been here for a while. Akuma or no, my father is a stickler for time, especially lunch breaks, we should head back. Ready?"

Kagami looked longingly at the last couple bites of sandwich on her plate but nodded and took Adrien's hand. "It was nice to meet you all. I look forward to your show Luka." She handed him her card. "Just text or email me the details?"

"Sure thing."

The two waved at the group before hurrying off. Marinette looked at Philipe. "I suppose we should go too, yeah? It was good to see you Luka. Just send me the details as well yeah? I'm sure Alya and Nino would love to come too."

"Of course. Totally." He smiled and pulled Marinette over for a slight aside. "Listen, I'm gunna be in town for a while. We should get together for dinner one night?"

"Oh," Marinette was a little taken aback by the invitation and rushed to answer before thinking it through, suddenly eager to get back to the office. "Yeah! Sure. Sounds great."

"Great!" Luka grinned. "I'll hit you up later this week." He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer, placing a kiss on her cheek, dangerously close to her mouth. "See you later Mari."

"Uh, yeah! See ya!" Marinette grabbed Philipe's coat sleeve and practically dragged him away in her effort to put some distance between her and Luka. Clearly someone hadn't quite gotten the memo when they'd last seen each other about the status of their relationship. 


	3. Hey Jealousy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo. Two chapters in two days. I'm on a roll :)

_Shit!_ Marinette screamed internally when she looked at the clock on her desk.  _I'm gunna be late. Again._

 

It had been an intense week of Fashion Week preparations and there would be another coming after the brief hiatus of the weekend, but it was finally Friday night and she could take a break for a little while. Luka had texted her after she got home late from work a few nights ago to ask her to dinner on Friday night. Since the restaurant was close, she'd decided to stay late and get some extra work done rather than trying to go home first. Honestly, she was afraid if she did, she might pass out instead. 

Now it was 10 minutes to 8 and she still needed to refresh her makeup and change her outfit. There wasn't necessarily anything wrong with what she'd worn to work, but she'd already been in it for nearly 12 hours and fresh clothes sounded like a good idea. Grabbing the bag under her desk, she rushed to the bathroom at the other end of the floor. Since there was no one else here (even the cleaning crew had already come and gone), so she didn't bother with taking a stall instead just stripping down in the middle of the room. Shoving her pencil skirt and high neck blouse in her bag, she exchanged them for leggings and a sweater dress.

When she was finished, she took a moment to assess herself in the mirror. Not bad. Her makeup was still mostly intact, nothing a little powder, liner refresh and a swipe of gloss couldn't fix. Her hair had gotten a bit ruffled from throwing her clothes on and off, but after combing and fluffing it with her fingers, she looked presentable again. Once finished she sprinted back to the elevator, made only slightly difficult thanks to the wedged booties she was sporting and checked her phone as the elevator arrived. 8:01, nice. At this rate she'd only be about 10 minutes late. For her, that was pretty good. 

She was shooting off a text to Luka to let him know she was running behind as she walked onto the lift, and didn't notice the other passenger until he spoke. 

"You're here late."

Marinette jumped at the sound of his voice and spun around to find Adrien looking slightly disheveled with his tie loose and the top button of his shirt undone. His hair looked like he'd been running his hands through it. "You as well."

"Ugh, yeah. Almost quarter end. Lots to do." He smiled ruefully, and damn if it wasn't the most adorable thing she'd ever seen. 

"Ah. Well, it's almost fashion week, so..."

He chuckled. "Mm, yeah. How could I forget. Father is insisting I walk in the show even though I haven't done runway work in a few years. I think I'm modeling one of Philipe's pieces so I suppose I'll be seeing more of you next week once you're ready for fittings."

"Oh?" Philipe had entirely failed to mention that. Jerk. "Yeah I suppose so."

He looked her over then, his eyes dragging down her body in a way that made her heat up a little. "That's not what you were wearing this morning." He'd seen her this morning? "Plans tonight?"

"Uh, yeah. Dinner with a friend." She smiled, and glanced away as the elevator slowed to the ground level. She saw him nod out of the corner of her eye, then gesture for her to go first when the doors opened. 

He stayed in step beside her as they crossed the deserted lobby, she could feel his eyes on her and she had the feeling he was searching for conversation, when he finally opened his mouth again as they neared the doors. Stepping in front of her, he grabbed the handle and held it open for her, catching her eyes. "So, I was wondering -"

His eyes flicked to the side and he cut off mid sentence, with a hint of a frown. Marinette followed his gaze and felt her eyebrows skyrocket. "Luka!"

The young rocker was standing outside the building with a massive bouquet of roses and his signature smile. She opened her mouth, searching for an explanation to give Adrien, not that she owed him one, but she suddenly felt very guilty for some reason. He did't give her a chance to say anything however, placing a hand on the small of her back and gently pushing her through the door so he could close it behind him. 

"Enjoy your evening Mme Dupain-Cheng." His lips twitched in a tight smile, before nodding to Luka and walking away. Her heart sank a little as she watched him walk away, but shook it off. Unless something had changed, she'd see him tomorrow night, she could explain then. Though, she still wasn't sure why she felt the need to. She'd already established that she didn't want him. Couldn't have him. So, why did it matter so much that he know she wasn't dating Luka?

Speaking of, "I thought we were meeting at the restaurant? We're going to be doubly late now." She wondered again, why she had even agreed to this. She knew it wasn't a good idea. Given his overly friendly behavior the other day and his language when he texted her, it seemed Luka was under the impression that their breakup had been more of a 'break'. She'd already moved on however, she wasn't interested in dating him again. She needed to set that straight, and soon. 

Luka smiled back at her, placing the roses into her hands and leaning forward to kiss her cheek. "I actually made a reservation for 8:30. I figured you'd be running late, so I thought I'd just meet you here and we could walk over together."

"Oh," she said dumbly as he wound an arm around her waist and began leading her away.  _Real eloquent Marinette._ They walked on in near silence, though it didn't seem to bother Luka any. He kept his hand firmly on her waist, though she was careful to keep the rest of her body away from. 

When they reached the restaurant, a little Italian place, they were shown straight to their table. It was a small space but it was well appointed and intimate. Marinette looked over the menu and raised a brow at the prices. She was even more surprised when Luka went ahead and ordered a bottle of Chianti for the table. He'd certainly never spent this much on dinner before. That tour must've have paid pretty well.

She glanced again at the bouquet of roses, then to his handsome face across the table, partially shadowed in the low light. Another knot of guilt twisted in her stomach. This was too much. "Luka..." she started.

He looked up, and upon seeing her staring at the flowers again, seemed to read her train of thought. "Please don't worry about it Mari. I'm doing pretty well right now. Consider it a belated celebration. For getting the job at Gabriel." Well, he partially understood. 

"Ok. But-"

He reached across the table and put a hand on hers. "It's fine. I promise. Let me spoil you. I enjoy it."

"B-"

"Nope. No more. Don't think on it anymore. Just relax and enjoy the night. I am." He smiled and looked back to his menu as the waiter returned with their wine. 

Marinette sighed as her glass was filled and she returned her attention to the menu, without really seeing it. Not that it mattered much since Luka ended up ordering for both of them. Lemon risotto and Veal Scallopine to split. She supposed he did care  _a little_ about the cost. 

She tried a few times over the course of their meal to set things straight with him, but every time she opened her mouth to speak, Luka redirected her with another question about her work, or her friends. She couldn't tell if it was intentional or coincidence. Afterwards he walked her home, and talked the entire way about his band. When they reached the steps of her apartment building, she tried again.

"Listen, Luka-"

"I had a great time tonight. Thanks for coming out Mari. It's always nice to see you." He leaned in for a kiss, which she just barely managed to dodge at the last second, his lips landing on the side of her mouth. He winced as he pulled away. 

"Sorry. Too fast? I know it's been a while since we've seen each other. I understand if you're a little hesitant. I can wait." He stepped down with a soft smile.

She opened her mouth to try again, but was again interrupted. "I'll see you tomorrow night yeah? Looking forward to it."

"Yeah..."

"Goodnight Marinette." He smiled again before turning and disappearing back down the street. 

Marinette was left feeling a bit like a branch blown around in a storm. That was not at all how she pictured this night going. 

Letting herself into the building, she trudged up to the top floor and opened her door. Tikki zipped out of her purse as soon as they were inside and hovered close by, watching her charge kick off her shoes, and drop her bag and the bouquet of roses on the counter. A few more steps and she was flopping face down onto the couch, and groaning loudly into her pillow. 

"Ugh! Tikki, what am I supposed to do now?!"

"It'll be alright Marinette, you just need to tell him the truth."

"I tried! Every time I tried to tell him he had the wrong idea, it was like he knew, and wouldn't let me get it out."

"You'll get there. Maybe just send him a text?... Maybe not, that's kind of rude. You could always tell him tomorrow after the show?"

"If he lets me!" She flipped over on to her side and looked up at the little red kwami, floating near her face. "This has been a stressful week. I could use a good run, if you're up for it?"

"Sure, just let me have a quick snack. I ran out of cookies at the beginning of dinner."

"Oh! Sorry Tikki!"

While her kwami was raiding the cookie jar, Marinette slipped into her closet and traded her sweater for an oversized t-shirt and slippers. At least this way, when she returned home and detransformed, she'd be ready for bed. 

"Good to go!" Tikki piped from the kitchen, before joining her near the open balcony window. 

She transformed and swung out into the night, racing along rooftops. It was still relatively early for a Friday night, so she avoided the busier parts of town and stuck mostly to residential areas. She considered stopping at the bakery to see her parents and grab some pastries for her and Tikki in the morning, but knew they were likely getting ready for bed already. Instead, she swung up to the top of the Notre Dame, perching amongst the gargoyle statues, and looked out over the twinkling lights of the city reflected in the Seine. 

She leaned her head against one of the statues and sighed, when she felt another presence appear beside her. She didn't need to look to know it was her partner as he silently sat down beside her. "Long day?"

She snorted. "You could say that."

"Wanna talk about it?"

She sighed. "I had to work late, but that wasn't really so bad... My ex is back in town. He asked me to dinner and I didn't really know how to say no."

Chat stiffened beside her. She didn't need his enhanced senses to know jealousy was rolling off him in waves. She usually avoided talking about her relationships with him. She didn't want to hurt him. But, he'd asked and she was too tired to be anything but honest. 

"How'd it go?"

"Ugh," she said, rubbing a hand over her face. "He apparently has decided we're not actually over. I kept trying to correct him, but never did manage to get it out. I have no idea what to do now."

"You don't want to get back together with him?" The hope in his voice was palpable. 

"No. That ship sailed months ago. I've moved on." She reached over and wove her fingers through his without taking her eyes off the view in front of her. His warmth was comforting, but she'd found it was easier if she didn't look at him. It didn't hurt as much. 

Instead of responding, he squeezed her fingers.

"What about you kitty? Your patrol should have been over by now. Why aren't you already home in bed?"

"I was taking the long route home. Had a lot on my mind. Then I saw you."

"You wanna talk about it?" She asked. Returning his earlier gesture.

He hesitated a minute before answering. "I-I may have met someone."

"Oh?" She was surprised how much that stung. She knew a little about his conquests, but that's all they ever were. He'd never really talked about any of them before. 

"Yeah... It's complicated though. I'm not really sure what to do about it. I've never really been interested in anyone before."

She swallowed thickly before forcing herself to say something. "Well, I'm sure she'd be lucky to have you minou." 

He glanced over at her, his green eyes glowing in the dark. "You-you're not... That is, you think I should-" he stumbled over his words and she took pity on him.

"You deserve to be happy. Even if it's not with- It's not like I haven't had my share of relationships over the years. It wouldn't be fair of me to deny you that."

He searched her face for a moment, before lifting their interlocked hands and kissing the back of her glove. "Thank you, my lady."

 _I love you._ The underlying message was there in his soft voice, but never spoken aloud. Just another of their unspoken agreements. She wondered how much longer they'd have to wait until they could finally reveal themselves to each other. Even more than that, she wondered if, when the time came, it would still be what they both wanted. 

\---

Saturday, Marinette and Alya spent the day together. She didn't get to see her best friend nearly as much as she would like anymore. It had been that way since they both started university, and now that they were both working full time, it had gotten worse. As it stood, she'd only seen Alya twice in the last month. Not nearly enough girl time for her tastes. 

They spent the day browsing shops and picking up a few things in anticipation of fall. The weather had taken a cooler turn earlier than usual this year. Not that Marinette was complaining. Fall was her favorite season. She loved the colors and smells and the crisp air. There were already a few items in the Gabriel streetwear collection she'd been eyeing. 

Eventually, they picked up takeout and headed back to Marinette's apartment to prepare for their night out. Nino, as it turned out, also had a gig tonight at a club downtown. He wouldn't be able to join them to watch Luka's band, but they were planning on hitting up his show afterward. Once they finished eating, Alya popped a bottle of champagne and poured them both generous glasses to sip on while they got ready. 

Marinette's little studio apartment looked like a storm ran through it by the time they were done, with two women using the bathroom and mirrors. It was worth it though, according to Alya, as they both looked 'fierce'. Alya had donned a mini dress and leather jacket with knee high boots, While Marinette had paired a crop top sweater with a high waisted skirt, thigh high stockings and ankle boots. Her long hair had been piled on top of her head in a messy bun, and she had to admit, her makeup was on point thanks to her bestie. 

They finished off the bottle of champagne before heading out, with just enough time to reach the bar before the show started. Even with food in her system, the wine was already giving her a light buzz, and she was utterly relaxed by the time they reached the bar. They wove their way through the crowd, Astres was quite popular locally, and eventually found Kagami waiting at a table near the stage. 

She smiled and waved when she saw Marinette, who quickly introduced her to Alya. The two girls hit it off immediately, just as she suspected they might. Kagami recognized Alya from the Ladyblog, and her best friend was always more than happy to discuss her favorite subject. Adrien joined them a few minutes later carrying drinks for himself and Kagami and looking hopelessly out of place in his designer clothes and perfectly coiffed blonde hair. 

"Hello ladies. Can I get you a drink?"

"You're so sweet," Alya said, leaning over to greet him with a kiss on the cheek. "Isn't he Mari?" 

His eyes flicked to Marinette, who gave him a small, shy smile in response. She couldn't read his expression, and wasn't sure what he was thinking after last night. 

When Marinette didn't speak up, Alya spoke for them both. "A drink would be great, if you don't mind standing up there again?" She nodded to the crowded bar behind them. 

"Not at all," he insisted with a model worthy smile. "What's your poison?"

"I'll have a rum and coke. Mari here likes her Vodka tonic."

"Got it. Be right back."

"He's just the sweetest," Alya said once he was out of earshot. "You're very lucky," she continued, looking pointedly at Kagami. Smooth Alya.

"Oh! We're not a couple. I've known Adrien since we were teenagers. We used to be fencing partners. He's one of my best friends, but yes, he really is the sweetest." Kagami glanced over at Marinette and winked, making her wonder what he might have said to her.

Marinette blushed and turned her head away, scanning the crowd. The girls giggled before going back to their previous conversation, but she tuned them out. It would never not be strange for her to hear people talking about her alter ego in front of her. Not only did she have to live the stories, she heard about them plenty enough with her best friend being the creator of the insanely popular blog dedicated to Paris' heroes. 

\---

Adrien returned with the girls' drinks just as the band took the stage to start warming up and the crowd went wild. They thanked him with a smile, Marinette sipping on hers, and looking anywhere but him. Since Alya and Kagami had claimed one side of the table, that left the only empty space next to Marinette. 

He sidled up to the table beside and took a sip of his beer, eyeing the rest of Luka's band as they tuned their instruments. They all had a similar look to them, that typical rock star glam, with shaggy hair and shredded clothes. He tried to picture Marinette with him, and the image came so easily, it made him sick. Luka spotted Marinette in the crowd and beamed at her. She however, acknowledged him with a short wave and just a hint of a smile. She looked rather uncomfortable by the attention. 

Actually, she looked... amazing. He only just then took in her outfit, his heart skipping a beat at the little glimpses of light skin around her midriff and upper thighs. His mind wandered into dangerous territory before he reeled it in, remembering she wasn't his to fantasize about. He couldn't help what his subconscious dreamed up while he was sleeping, but he could very well control his conscious thoughts. 

His gaze flicked back to the blue haired man on stage, jealousy prickling his chest as he tried not to imagine him doing all the things he'd imagined doing to her. His thoughts were interrupted when a waft of sweet perfume and a pleasant warmth entered his personal space. Looking down, he saw Marinette leaning into him to say something, he leaned down to hear her better over the crowd.

"We're not together."

"What?"

"Luka and I, I mean. We're not together. He's - he's an ex. Just an ex."

"Oh..." a surge of elation burst through his chest, banishing the jealousy, as his eyes again flicked to Luka. It seemed, Marinette was the only one who knew he was just an ex. Homeboy kept looking over at her with a smile, totally oblivious to what she was saying to him. 

"Sorry, I don't know why I told you that. I just- the other night- I didn't want you to get the wrong impression. Not sure why..." Her face was tinted a beautiful pink as she blushed, and he was deeply gratified that she seemed so concerned about his opinion. 

"It's alright. That's good to know." He smiled at her, purposely leaning into her as he turned to face the stage. 

She fidgeted beside him, her blush growing deeper, and Adrien had to hide his self-satisfied smirk behind his glass. He'd been about to ask her out for a drink last night before he'd seen Luka waiting for her, but now that he knew there wasn't anything going on with them, on her part at least, he felt much more confident. Especially since it had been her who specifically pointed it out. With any luck, by the end of the night, he'd move whatever their relationship currently was into deeper territory. 

\---

Adrien had to admit, he'd thoroughly enjoyed the show. Astres had talent, he could see why they'd been chosen to open for La Roche. He wasn't the only one who'd enjoyed the show. Kagami had also been impressed with them, and had pulled aside the band leader at the end of their set to give them her card. Her PR firm had recently taken on Jagged Stone as a client, and he was currently searching for new talent to collaborate with. 

The girls were ready to leave as soon as the set was over. By the time he'd closed out his tab, and rejoined them, Luka had made his way over. He was standing very close to Marinette who was doing her best to put some distance between them without being rude. The man really was blind. Adrien heard him ask where they were going next and she reluctantly told him about Nino's gig. 

"Oh cool. The guys are gunna stick around here for a bit, have a few drinks and meet with fans, then maybe I'll join you?"

"Uh- yeah. Cool." She smiled tightly and ducked when he leaned in for a kiss. Adrien's blood boiled at her obvious discomfort, and he just barely restrained himself from shoving him away from her. 

Luckily for both of them, he left on his own a moment later and Adrien escorted his three companions back out into the night. 

They headed to the nearest underground and caught a train into town, around the corner from the club Nino was playing. The line to get in was around the corner when they got there, but the bouncer recognized Adrien and waved him and the girls through. Being famous had it's perks sometimes. 

Nino must've given the hostess a heads up that they were coming tonight, for as soon as she saw him, she ushered their group to a VIP table, already set with bottle service. The girls cooed at the digs and each made themselves a drink before wandering over to the railing overlooking the dance floor. They weren't high up, maybe half a floor, but the plush seats and more open space was certainly preferable to the main floor in Adrien's opinion. 

Nino's set must have gotten pushed back a little as the stage was currently empty aside from the crew, rushing around to ensure the equipment was set up properly. He'd met Nino a  couple months ago when he'd been hired for a Gabriel event, but the two men had quickly become friends. They'd already hung out a handful of times and he was pretty sure he'd seen more of Alya than her best friend had. He was already very fond of the couple. They were nice, funny, genuine and just downright adorable. 

Plus, he couldn't complain about the fact that they'd been the ones to introduce him to Marinette. He wondered if he would've ever met her if not for them. He imagined he would've noticed her around the office. How could he not? But he wasn't sure she would've come to his attention quite the same way otherwise. Now that he had had a taste of her, and knew what I was like to crave her, he couldn't imagine not feeling that. 

While the girls giggled and danced over the railing, he lounged on the large red sofa surrounding their table, and sipped on his vodka cranberry, enjoying the view. His eyes traced over Marinette, taking in every inch of her. The sway of her hips, the curve of her waist, her full breasts. The way little tendrils of her dark hair had slipped out of her bun and hung teasingly around her face. Even in the dark light, there was no mistaking those bright blue eyes, and her full lips were painted a cherry red that made thirsty for more than a drink. 

He wondered briefly what he was doing. He had no business chasing after a woman like that. She was the definition of trouble. The exact kind of potential scandal his father had always been so worried about. He couldn't help it though. The way her body called to him was too strong to deny. He'd never once had that feeling with any other woman he'd met, save one. Ironically, she was just as taboo. Perhaps he had a type?

Either way, he wasn't sure he could deny himself any longer. He'd tried to already and all it had done was make him want her more. Perhaps it was the alcohol talking, and perhaps he'd regret it later, but he found himself saying "What the hell?"

Once Nino's set started, he joined the girls at the railing, dancing along with the rest of the crowd. Alya and Kagami were in a world of their own, bodies pressed together, gyrating to the beat. It left Marinette alone which was fine by him. After another drink, he found the courage to slide an arm around her waist and pull her into him, her back to his front. She finished off her drink, and plucked his from his hand, setting them both aside. Grabbing his other hand, she placed them both on her hips, leaning back into his chest. Her eyes fluttered closed as she rocked slowly, her whole body winding. It was utterly mesmerizing.

After a moment he was able to fight though the haze of lust and move with her as they set a steady tempo. His hands gripped her harder, pulling her further back into him. One of her hands slid up, around his neck and wove into his hair, pulling his head down. He happily obliged, his lips easily finding her pulse and playing with the delicate skin there. Her lips parted and she reached down with her free hand to guide one of his hands over her stomach and around her body. 

It was too much, all these sensations. His mind was so overloaded with  _her_ he'd all but forgotten they were in public still. If they didn't stop soon, this was going to turn R rated.

He didn't register the angry voice until he was being physically ripped away from her. He blinked a few times, to clear the haze, just managing to catch himself before he fell on his ass. Luka, who he only then noticed was a couple inches taller, was staring down at him like an angry bull, while Marinette tried to calm him down, looking rather angry herself. She shoved him in the chest, pushing him away to another section of the club. Alya followed them to make sure Marinette was alright, while Kagami rushed over to check on him.

"Oh my God, are you ok?"

"Yeah-yeah. What the hell was that?"

"I don't know. He came out of nowhere. Apparently he wasn't a fan of what you an Marinette were doing." She broke down into giggles then, once she knew he was alright. "You two looked awful cozy. Wanna tell me again she's 'just a friend'?"

"Shut up." He moved past her, back to their table while she continued giggling. Motioning to the waitress he ordered a pitcher of water for the table, and sat down with a huff.

Kagami flopped down beside him, resting her head on her hand over the back of the sofa. "So, I guess her an Luka are a thing then?"

Adrien shook his head. "They're not together. He's just an ex. She was rather emphatic about that."

"She told you he was an ex?"

"Yeah, earlier tonight."

"Wow. She must really like you if she made a point of telling you she was free." She wiggled her eyebrows at him and he rolled his eyes, dropping his head back agains the cushions and scrubbing his face in his hands.

"Why is it, that the one girl I've ever been interested in, is the one to give me the most grief? Not that it's her fault." He hurried to explain.

"Of course not." Her smile turned soft as she continued watching him. Kagami was one of the few friends his father ever approved of. Since his choices in playmates and confidantes were so limited over the years, they had necessarily grown very close. He knew he could tell her anything, and she'd never judge him for it, nor ever repeat it. It was why she was the  _only_ person who knew his secrets.  _All of them._ "You really like her don't you?"

"I barely know her," he answered honestly. "But, yeah. There's just something about her. Ever since the first time I met her. I can't get her out of my head."

She leaned in close to whisper so only he could hear. "What about Ladybug?"

He sighed. "I still care about her, but I can't be with her. It kills me but- I'm just tired of being alone. You know?"

Kagami pursed her lips and laid a hand on his arm in solidarity. He knew she understood. 

"I see other couples; Nino and Alya, Marc and Daniel, even Chloe and Nate... though honestly, who ever saw _that_ coming?"

They both chuckled at that. It had been a shock to everyone when Chloe Bourgeois, one of Paris' it girls, was seen out with the young shy artist Nathaniel Kutzberg. Apparently they'd known each other in school and the heiress had been nursing a secret crush on him for years. He still wasn't sure what had finally brought them together, but his friend was head over heels in love and he couldn't be happier for her. Nate was good for her. 

"But, I mean, I-I want that. I want that kind of connection, that passion. What I've been doing the last few years, it's not cutting it anymore. I want more, and with Marinette... I dunno, I just feel like there could be something there. I guess I'm just afraid, I'll be missing out if I don't go for it."

"So, what are you gunna do then?"

He sat quietly for a moment, contemplating the question. His eyes scanned the room, before eventually finding Marinette, standing with Alya. The reporter was rubbing her hands up and down her friends arms in a comforting manner. Luka was nowhere in sight, but whatever had happened with him had clearly upset her. She glanced over her shoulder at him, her lips twitching in the faintest of smiles before turning away again. His heart clenched in his chest when she looked away, aching to comfort her himself. 

He turned back to Kagami and smiled. "I'm gunna woo her."


	4. A for Attraction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goodness me. That's three chapters in three days now.
> 
> When the muse deigns to visit, grab her by the hand and run like hell.- Me
> 
> FYI, as promised, there is a NSFW scene at the end of this. I wouldn't really say it's explicit, at least not graphically so, but yeah...

"Oooh! What is wrong with me?! What the hell was I thinking?!" Marinette clutched her head, mussing her hair as she hid away in the club bathroom with Alya. 

"Girl," her friend giggled. "I'm pretty sure it was the alcohol thinking."

"Ugh! Why?!" She slumped against the wall and slid to the floor. A few other drunk girls waiting for stalls gave her sympathetic looks.  _Tell me about it girl._ "That was just- so incredibly irresponsible. I can't face him now!"

 

The last several minutes replayed in her mind in excruciating detail. The haze of intoxication long gone, she could remember everything with a painfully sober clarity. When Adrien's arm had would around her waist and pulled her back to him, she knew it wasn't a good idea; especially in such a public setting. But, his touch was just gentle enough, and his warmth was inviting, and his breath tickled her skin in the most delicious manner... She'd known what she was doing, she just hadn't cared. In that moment, her body and her baser instincts were in control, not her mind. 

His hands had begun to wander, and if Luka hadn't shown up when he did, she couldn't say just how far she would've let him go. He made her feel  _too_ good. Something she hadn't thought was possible. She had to remind herself again that he was supposed to be off limits. 

Luka, was another matter entirely. He'd shown up, like the rest of them, a little tipsy from the bar, and had acted on instinct. He'd grabbed her arm and yanked her out of Adrien's hold, almost sending the poor man to the floor. He hadn't hurt her, but he had pissed her off. Regardless of whatever was happening between them, he had no right to interfere like he had. He could be angry, or jealous, or hurt, but he couldn't be aggressive. That was never ok. Unless she'd actually asked him to step in, he should've stayed out of it physically. 

She'd shoved at him until he moved and lead him away before he could cause even more of a scene. As soon as they were out of earshot, she'd confronted him. 

"What the hell was that?"

"I could ask you the same question Mari."

"You had no right to do that."

"I had no-   _you_ had no right! What the fuck Mari? You literally just had dinner with me last night-"

"So what?! Regardless of what our relationship status may or may not be, you. don't. own. me. You had no right to put your hands on me. Or Adrien. For God's sake, it wasn't like he was forcing me to do anything!"

"I..." He blew out a harsh breath, glancing away for a moment. She could see him clenching and unclenching his fists, while he tried to collect himself. Finally he hung his head. "You're right. I'm sorry. I didn't hurt you did I?" She shook her head.

"I just- seeing you like that with him... with anyone else really...."

"I know." She placed a hand on his arm, drawing his eyes back to her. "I'm genuinely sorry, if you were under the impression that there was something still going on between us. It wasn't my intention. I tried to talk to you about it last night, but- I couldn't ever manage to get it out. You kept changing the subject or talking over me.."

He winced. "I'm sorry. I did get the feeling you were trying to say something and I'll admit, I didn't want to hear it. I-" he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Look, I think maybe we should talk about this more, but not here. Not right now. I'm suddenly feeling very tired, I just want to go home."

She frowned. "I understand. We can talk about this more later, I think that's probably a good idea actually. I-I'll call you."

He nodded, giving her a small, sad smile. "I'm sorry." With that he turned and left, disappearing into the crowd. Alya was on her in a second, rubbing her hands up and down her arms in a soothing manner. 

"You ok girl?"

"Yeah..." she glanced around and saw a few people watching her and talking to each other, their gazed drifting from her, to the direction Luka had just gone, and then up to the VIP section. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Adrien half slumped on the couch next to Kagami. Her lip twitched a little at how adorable he looked, with a pout on his face, but then she realized people were looking up there because they'd seen her and Luka come from there. She prayed no one had made the connection that Adrien had been involved. The last thing either of them needed was a scandal. 

Suddenly the room felt way too crowded, and she felt herself starting to panic a little. 

"I gotta get out of here." She had taken Alya by the hand and dragged her through the club. Now they were here, in the bathroom, while she lamented this entire evening. 

 

"You gotta see him sometime girl. You work with him."

"Doesn't mean I have to face him again tonight." She looked up at Alya with her best puppy dog eyes. "Grab my purse for me will you? And make some excuse for me? I'm going home."

"You can't leave by yourself, and you know Adrien isn't the kind of guy to let you go home without an escort."

"I'll be fine, I'm tougher than I look."

Alya raised a skeptical eyebrow. 

" _Please._ I can't do this, and I'd hate to drag you out of here with me. You came to see Nino's set."

"So did you," she reminded her. 

"Pleeeeeease."

Her friend closed her eyes and sighed heavily. "At least call an Uber or something. I don't want you walking or riding the underground on your own this late."

"Yes mom," she said, rolling her eyes. When Alya gave her a warning look, she adopted a sugar sweet demeanor. "You're the bestest. But, seriously, I need my purse. My phone is in it."

Alya shook her head. "Stay right here."

\---

 

Wooing Marinette turned out to be a lot harder than Adrien expected. He'd be lying if he said it didn't normally come easy for him. Most of the women he'd succeeded with were usually so easily taken with either his fame or his looks, he hardly had to try. Marinette was different though. He'd known that from the first night he met her. Maybe it was because she was already a part of the industry, but those things didn't seem to matter to her. 

He had hoped to start winning her favor over the rest of the evening at the club, but she'd left early. He assumed it was something to do with whatever had happened with Luka. Alya had been pretty vague, simply saying Marinette just wasn't feeling well, and had gone home so as not to spoil anyone else's night. After he'd managed to get her number, he'd shot off a text to check on her later that night and again the next day. She never responded. 

Next he tried a more classic approach. Flowers. Not some massive bouquet of roses or anything. He wasn't quite ready to announce his intentions to the world. He just wanted to make her smile. Instead, he had opted for a single orchid. Rare and beautiful. He'd arrived early to the office on Monday while the design floor was still mostly empty and had discreetly left it on her desk. Later that day, he'd seen the flower pinned into her hair. The brilliant blue-purple petals complemented her raven locks beautifully. 

She still never acknowledged him though. Surely she had to know who it was from? Who else would leave something like that for her. That was the day he learned of all the other men in the office who had crushes on her and liked to occasionally leave little things on her desk, like notes or flowers, or tiny stuffed animals.... Awesome. 

That's when he decided a more direct approach was in order. Luckily, fashion week, and his appearing in the show, gave him an excuse to be more present on the design floor. 

He started off slow, building on the foundation that already existed. He didn't want to overwhelm her or scare her off. Break room chats, and conversations to and from the office. He made a point to ask about her interests and share some of his own. He allowed himself for be more open with her than he normally would be with others, showing his sense of humor, and love of bad puns. 

She seemed almost reluctant to talk most of the time, but when he latched on to a subject she enjoyed, they could find themselves chatting for along stretches of time. He found they had some things in common, like a love of video games and various TV shows and movies. They even had similar taste in music. Imagine his surprise when he found out she had designed not one, but two of Jagged Stone's albums covers as well as a pair of his signature shades and other various items he'd worn on stage. He'd immediately made a note to bring a copy of both albums for her to sign. 

When it came timer his first fitting, it had just been him, Phillipe and Marinette in a room together, which it made it a lot easier to talk to her. He knew Philipe wouldn't mind if they chatted the entire time they were working. 

Because he would be working a runway show, something he hadn't done in a while, he'd spent the last two weeks controlling his diet and working out more than usual. After so many years of modeling, he wasn't at all embarrassed about undressing in front of other people, but with Marinette in the room, he took a little more care with his movements. When he removed his dress shirt, he made sure to showcase his chest. When he unbuckled his pants, he made sure his abs were on full display. Philipe knew very well what he was doing and had to bite back a grin the entire time, but it was worth it to see the blush on Marinette's face as she tried not to look.

He did his best to make some kind of contact with her as much as possible, all the while keeping his voice even and steady while he spoke. The picture of casual. By the time it was over, Marinette was as flustered as he'd ever seen her and Philipe had had to step out at least once when he couldn't hold back a laugh anymore. After marking all the changes she needed to make, Marinette had gathered up all of the pieces for the show and booked it back to her desk. As soon as she was gone, Adrien let himself smile when Philipe offered him a high five. 

"Well played M Agreste. Well played." It seemed he had a coconspirator. 

 Eventually, Adrien's other duties demanded his attention, so after his first fitting, he dedicated several hours to working through the quarter end reports that were piling up on his desk. He was making notes on one of them, late Friday night when a timid knock on his door caught his attention. Glancing at the clock, he was surprised that anyone else was still here. He knew several of the designers would be coming in tomorrow to get in extra work time, but after a whole week of late nights, he hadn't expected anyone to stay late tonight as well. 

"Come in."

A raven colored head of hair peeked around the door and Adrien almost dropped his pen in surprise. 

"Marinette. Can I help you?"

"Um.. I don't want to disturb you, but I'm just about finished with the alterations. I thought perhaps it'd be easier to just do another fitting now? If you're not too busy? Rather than waiting until Monday."

"Y-yes. Yes, of course. Come on in." He straightened his tie and stood from his desk. "I didn't realize anyone was still here."

"Oh, yeah I'm the only one left downstairs. I was so close to finishing I thought it'd be better to just stay late tonight rather than coming in tomorrow as well."

His stomach chose that moment to remind him he hadn't eaten in hours. "Oh... are you hungry? I was going to order something in?"

"Um... sure."

"You like Chinese?" She raised an amused eyebrow.  _She is Chinese genius._ "Right... What's your favorite then?"

"I'm not picky," she shrugged.

"Ok. You can set up whatever you need to," he said, gesturing vaguely around his office. "I'll just go ahead and call in. Hopefully it'll be here by the time we're done."

He ordered a variety of things: dumplings, spring rolls, lo mein. He'd mostly just be eating grilled chicken and veggies. The fitting went quickly, there were only one or two more minor adjustments that needed to be made, and their food arrived just as they finished. He ran down to fetch it from the lobby while she rehung the rest of the garments that were finished. She sat across from him in front of his desk, peering through the various boxes. He threw his tie over his shoulder (why he'd bothered to put it back on he couldn't say. Habit perhaps,) before digging in to his own. 

 

Adrien couldn't help but watch her mouth as she ate. The way her lips closed over the chopsticks with every bite and puckered slightly as she chewed. He fought the urge to loosen his tie as heat flooded through his body. He was surprised the food he was shoveling into his own mouth managed to make it there without incident. They ate in silence, but he was gratified to note the way she kept looking up at him through her lashes while she pretended not to be as affected by his presence as he was by hers.

They swallowed at the same time, and there was a beat when everything around them seemed to freeze as their eyes locked. Then, just as suddenly, everything was moving in fast forward. They simultaneously set aside their food, jumping up from their seats, and reaching for each other across Adrien's desk. His hands locked in her hair, holding her close as he devoured her mouth. Her hands clung to the front of his shirt as she moaned softly into his mouth. 

He tested his flexibility, stretching to keep contact with her as he rounded the desk, turning her as he went so her back was to it. He reached down to wrap a hand around her thigh, lifting her so she sat on the edge, and settled between her hips. Her legs squeezed together around his hips, her arms wrapping around his back, holding him to her as though she were afraid he'd slip away. It took very little work to coax her lips apart for his tongue to dive in and before long, her hands were tugging at his tie, slipping it from around his neck and working at the buttons on his shirt. His hands slid under her skirt, finding the sides of her panties and ripping them off with a savage tug that made her gasp. 

Lifting her again, he kicked aside the chairs in front of his desk, ignoring the noise they made as they tumbled away and set her down on the carpet as gently as he could manage in his frenzied state. Cradling the back of her head, their lips still never broke contact as he laid out over her. Popping the top few buttons of her blouse, his lips wandered further and further south until he was lifting her skirt and burying his face between her thighs.

Her fingers tugged at his hair, her breathy moans driving him wild. As he worked her over, one hand splayed over her stomach to keep her hips still, the other reaching down to free himself from the constraint of his slacks. He moved back over her, allowing her to taste herself before he finally sunk into her with a guttural groan. 

" _Fuck._ You have no idea how long I've been wanting to do that. Hell, I've been dreaming about it since-"

"Adrien,' she breathed.

"Hmm?"

"Shut up."

He grinned against her mouth, but obliged, all thoughts of conversation forgotten as they moved together with the same wild passion as before. When it was over, they lay side by side, still mostly dressed, and staring at the ceiling. Both of them wondered if they'd just made a colossal mistake, but for very different reasons.

Marinette, hadn't wanted anyone to think she was trying to get ahead by sleeping with the boss' son and had been fighting her attraction to him for weeks. There were so many things wrong with this, but tonight, the pull her body felt to him was too strong to ignore anymore. In the split second before they had jumped at each other, she had decided one more time couldn't hurt. Perhaps she'd finally have her fill of him, and could move on. Now though, she was feeling more like a junkie, riding a high after another hit. And Adrien was the drug.

Adrien hadn't intended for things to progress quite so quickly, nor for it to happen here, in his office. If  _anyone_ found out, they could have a PR nightmare on their hands. Still, he couldn't bring himself to be entirely sorry it had happened. He wasn't sure what it was about her, but he was Homer and she was the siren, his very soul seemed to yearn for her. Each time he saw her, every time he was around her, the call got louder.

He thought of his lady for a moment, but quickly dismissed the thought. She had been involved with other men before, and she'd said herself he deserved to be happy. He'd seen first hand through his friends, the kind of comfort  a relationship could bring. For the first time ever, he wanted that with someone other than Ladybug. He wanted Marinette, craved her. She made him want to give more of himself than he ever had before. She made him want to open up, and break every rule.

She was dangerous. Part of his mind said she would be his ruin, but he couldn't bring himself to care.

As he lay there beside her, listening to her panting breaths even out, he knew he was already gone. He had to have her. Whatever it took.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, for anyone who might have been curious, I think I've seen at least one person mention it in the comments: Adrien's one night stands.
> 
> Adrien, because of his father, is typically very careful about protecting his image. So the way I picture it, his one-night stands aren't girls he meets randomly at a bar and takes home. Rather they're a 'list' of women he's met before, maybe even a couple of times, and has taken the time to research a little before deciding to go for it when he has the desire and the opportunity. His 'little black book' if you will. His rules though are that he never sleeps with them more than once (can't have them getting attached), always at their place, and he doesn't spend the night. Also, he makes sure he isn't seen leaving with them, and no one is to know about it... I dunno. Just some thoughts...


	5. Show Time

Marinette looked around the little cafe before spotting her friend near the windows. "Juleka!"

"Mari!" Juleka flipped her long, purple tipped hair over her shoulder and stood to greet her. "I'm glad you called."

"I hadn't seen you in a while, I figured we were overdue for a chat." 

They shy girl had really come out of her shell in lycée and though she and Marinette had never been particularly close, she had always been fond of her and they had stayed in touch over the years. Especially when she was dating her brother.

"Yeah! How's it going at Gabriel? I saw you got the job there, that's awesome!"

"Thanks! It's going good so far. We've been really busy getting ready for Fashion week next week, but that's almost over now. As much as I'm looking forward to it, I think I'm almost as excited for it to be done."

"I'll bet."

"How's Rose?" Juleka's heart of gold girlfriend had joined the Peace Corp after university and had been traveling around the world putting her empathy to good use. 

"She's great! I just FaceTimed with her yesterday. She's still in Peru for the next couple of months, but she should be getting some time off after that."

As proud as Juleka was of Rose, Marinette knew she missed her just as much. 

"That's great!"

"Yeah. I'm hoping she'll be back in time for Christmas this year. Then maybe I can convince her to stay home for a little while before she jets off again."

The ladies ordered coffee and chatted for a while before Juleka turned the conversation to it's inevitable topic. 

"Have you heard the news?"

"News?"

"About Astres?"

"Oh." Marinette had called Luka the day after the incident at the club and they had met up for lunch. After a relatively long talk, she found Luka had in fact been under the impression that their breakup was more of a break. Though he insisted it was through no fault of her own. According to him, he'd fallen quite hard for her and hadn't been ready to give her up just yet. He had hoped that when he came home, he could win her back, but he could see now that she had moved on. He apologized for his behavior that night and after expressing a desire to stay friends, they had parted amicably. She was glad, not having wanted to cut him entirely out of her life. Particularly for Juleka's sake. 

"Um, no?"

"Apparently, after their show last weekend, someone gave Michele their card. Some PR woman, I think Luka said she was part of your group? Anyways, long story short, they have an audition with Jagged Stone next week!"

"What!? That's amazing!"

"I know! Luka's stoked. I'm so happy for him. This could be their big break. A collaboration with Jagged, can you believe it?"

All Marinette could do was smile and shake her head. What a small world. If it hadn't been for Adrien, Luka would've never met Kagami, and she would've probably never gone to that show. Funny how things worked out. Marinette made a mental note to reach out to Jagged and put in a good word for the boys. She knew how talented they were, and had no problem using her contacts to help them out if she could.

The girls chatted for a while longer before parting ways for the evening. Marinette retired early in preparation for a long day on Monday. The Gabriel show wouldn't be until later in the week but she knew it would be a madhouse at work all week, and she was hoping to catch a few of the other shows if she could.  

* * *

 

 As fate would have it, when the day of the Gabriel show came around, who should be assigned as Adrien's exclusive dresser for the show but Philipe and, by extension, Marinette. 

She cursed her luck as the model strutted into their curtained off section (perks of being the boss' son), fresh from hair and makeup and wearing a come-get-me smile. She'd done her best to avoid him after the night in his office, constantly reminding herself that her attraction to the man was purely physical.  _It was just sex. It was just sex. It was just sex. Mind blowing, body weakening, dream haunting sex... but just sex._ As long as she continued to play it cool, no one need ever know. 

Of course playing it cool was a lot harder to do when your  _it was just sex_ happened to be a literal 6'2" supermodel with dreamy green eyes and a panty dropping smile. And -oh yeah- a total tease.

As soon as he entered the tent he immediately started up his striptease again. Only this time, it was far more obvious just how much time he'd dedicated to the gym the last few weeks. Every time Marinette blushed or bit her lip and looked away, Adrien's smile ticked up a little more. When she started moving around him, helping into his first outfit and making sure it laid just so, she could feel his fingers moving along her body anywhere he could reach. A brush of the arm here, a skim across the waist there, a touch at the back of the neck... It was all too blatant to be mistake for accidental touches, and by the time she was finished with him, her body was as much aflame as her face.

Philipe was no help of course. If anything he seemed to enjoy her discomfort as much as Adrien did. Even encouraging him on. He found every excuse possible to have Marinette do as much of the work as possible while he grinned from the corner. 

It wasn't that she didn't like what he was doing. She would've put a stop to it at the beginning if she didn't. The problem was that she liked it too much. She knew that the entire time he was teasing her, he was thinking about their last night together, trying to make her think about it too. Not that she needed a reminder. It had fueled more than enough...  _dreams_ over the last several days. She hadn't been able to find her ruined panties before scurrying out of his office that night. So, naturally, when she folded the pants he was wearing this morning and set them aside, she happened to find them in his back pocket.  _Tease._

The message was pretty clear. He hadn't forgotten, and he was asking for more. She couldn't give it to him though. As much as she told herself it was just physical, she knew already it wasn't true. He'd allowed her to get to know him better, and what she'd seen so far was enough to pique her interest. If Chat weren't in her life, he was  _exactly_ the kind of guy she could see herself with. And that was a problem. For more reasons than one. 

Adrien's teasing continued through the rest of the show, though he didn't have as much time to spare during his next two changings, but he took whatever he could get. The beautiful thing about Marinette, was that she had a terrible poker face. Every little thing she was thinking or feeling played out in her expression like an open book. She was attracted to him, that was plain as day. It was also plain that she was still resisting him. He could guess why. No one wanted to be known for sleeping their way to the top, but Marinette had talent in spades. It didn't take a genius to see that. She didn't need him, or anyone else to get her wherever she wanted to go. 

He wanted to make sure she knew he knew that. That he acknowledged her reservations and respected them. But, he wasn't going to let that stop him either. Even at 24 he'd met enough women to know that ones like Marinette were like precious rare stones. He could be as discreet as he needed to be if it meant he could have her. So, that was exactly what he would tell her. 

After the show was over, Adrien managed to catch her in the little tent that had been set up for his use as he redressed in his street clothes. His determined expression when he entered had been enough to clue Philipe in, and he had thankfully excused himself, leaving them alone. He was still only half dressed, his button up shirt hanging open over his bare chest, when she tried to excuse herself as well. He stepped in front of her, blocking her path, and leaning against the clothes rack she had been pushing to further halt her escape. 

He put on the most casual expression he could manage, looking her right in the eye as he spoke. "I was wondering if you were free for dinner tonight?"

Immediately he could see her starting to retreat, looking for a way to politely decline, so he plowed ahead before she could speak. "At my place."

She blinked at him, her mouth popping open, though nothing came out. Sighing, he dropped the casual demeanor since it didn't really reflect the nerves he was feeling, and decided to be a little more open. "Look, can I be honest with you for a  minute?"

"I-uh- sure.."

"Thank you. Ok, I get that you may be...  _wary_ about-" he gestured between the two of them, "-this. Whatever this may be. I am too. You don't want people to think you're using personal connections to get you places, and I... well, let's just say, my father isn't exactly encouraging when it comes to my personal life. In fact, I think he'd probably prefer it if I stayed single the rest of my life to make me more appealing to my female fanbase." He shuddered a little. It sometime bothered him just how ok his father was with promoting his son as a sex symbol. 

"Its not that I was looking forward to settling down any time soon or anything, I'd just... like to not be so lonely all the time. I don't wanna put pressure on you, and there isn't any need to put a label on anything. We don't even have to  _do_ anything. I just- I like you. And, I want to get to know you better. If that's alright with you?" He bit his lip, feeling suddenly vulnerable. He hadn't meant to be  _quite_ so open, but as he watched her expression morph through her internal debate, he could see her resolve weakening. 

She bit her lip, looking past him for a minute before sighing. "Okay," she said quietly. " _Just_ dinner." she quickly amended when he started to grin.

He smoothed out his expression into something a little more neutral than  _"holy shit, she actually said yes!"_ and nodded. "Just dinner."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eeek! Ok, it took me a good minute to find a good transition, but I think this works well.
> 
> Next chapter, we'll get to see what happens during their "just dinner". Spoiler alert... shenanigans. Also, these two have awful self control, as we've already seen >:P


	6. Blurred Lines

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Adrien was an absolutely adorkable mess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't updated this one in a minute, but now that I'm done with studying for the foreseeable future, I'm gunna try to focus more on all my writing.
> 
> This does't feel quite as long as I would like, but it came to a nice stopping point so... here, have a chapter!

After agreeing on a time and giving Marinette his address, Adrien had practically skipped out to the car waiting for him while she returned to her work, cleaning up the backstage area and returning the designs worn in the show back to the studio. He'd gone immediately to the market to pick up the ingredients he'd need to make Duck a l'orange. It may seem like a cliche dish and perhaps a bit boring, but it was one of his favorites and it was something he knew he could make well. While he was at it, he picked out a couple of nice bottles of wine, just to have some variety, and fresh berries for a light dessert.

On a whim, he also picked up a couple of fall scented candles and a bouquet of daises, mums and sunflowers in rich shades of gold and red. He knew the designer in Marinette would appreciate the color palate and he wanted to set as warm and inviting an atmosphere as possible. 

Once he got back to his apartment, he immediately started working to get the duck in the oven as soon as possible. Once that was done, he started prepping the berries for later, setting them to marinate in the fridge after tossing them in sugar and balsamic vinegar.  Later, he'd whip together some heavy cream and Chambord to serve them with. Finished in the kitchen for the moment, he set about tidying the space, setting the table and lighting the candles so the scents of cinnamon and cloves filled the room. 

Satisfied with his handy work, he left the duck to slow roast in the oven while he made his way to the bathroom to wash off the pound of makeup and hair products he was still covered in. He'd already fussed for a good hour or so over what to wear, ultimately laying out a pair of jeans and a soft button down. He wanted to be comfortable and casual, while not looking like he was trying too hard. After showering, he stood in front of the mirror while he brushed his teeth and ran through his skin care routine before starting on his hair. As he combed it this way and that, trying to decide which style looked best, he silently wished he'd been able to get a haircut this week, but his father insisted he keep the longer look at least through the show. Personally, he thought it made him look a bit too boyish. These days, he preferred a more sleek, streamlined cut. Not too long on top with a low fade down the sides. Oh well, nothing he could do about it now he supposed as he brushed it into a deep side part.

He was torn from his musings when Plagg suddenly perked up, his nose scrunching as he sniffed. "Uh... kid..."

Taking a few experimental sniffs himself, he soon realized what had caught his kwami's attention. " _Shit_!" he darted out of the bathroom to the kitchen, throwing open the oven door as smoke billowed out, promptly setting off the alarm. "Oh, no, no, no, no, no!"

He grabbed the first towel he could find, pulling the pan from the oven and plopping it on the counter, coughing as his kitchen quickly filled with smoke. He registered the sound of the front door being thrown open (he'd apparently forgotten to lock it), and then heard his name being called. 

"Adrien?!" _She was here_. Was it already 8? How had he not noticed?

Through the smoke he saw her figure run through the room and start throwing open windows to let the smoke out, using a throw blanket from the living room to fan it out. He stood in the kitchen, coughing and waving a hand in front of his face as he watched the smoke clear away. 

"Oh my god! What happened? Are you alright?" 

"I'm fine," he coughed. "I must've just forgotten to set a timer for the oven. I swear it's not usually like this when I cook," he assured her, feeling awful for having ruined dinner before it even started. 

When the room cleared enough to see, she turned away from the window to face him, her face immediately turning red as she slapped a hand over her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut. He frowned for a moment, wondering if she was alright before he noticed her shoulders shaking and realized she was laughing.  _Awesome._  

"Do- um-" she cleared her throat, staring up at the ceiling, still refusing to look at him. "Do you- want to go... freshen up? I can -clean up in here. M-maybe call in something to eat?" The last word sounded a bit strangled as she bit her lip and closed her eyes again. She appeared to be praying for... something. Why couldn't she look at him?

Frowning, he looked down at himself and immediately flushed from head to toe. He'd spent so long messing with his hair, he still hadn't gotten dressed yet and now stood stark naked in his kitchen, covered in a fresh layer of soot with the windows and doors wide open.  _Fuck me._

" _Dieu,"_ he cried, snatching the towel from the counter to cover himself. "This is officially the most embarrassing moment of my life," he grumbled, wishing he could disappear. 

Marinette lost it then, spluttering out a laugh as she turned back to the window, allowing him to slam the front door shut and sprint back upstairs to the bathroom. Through the closed doors he could hear her peals of laughter as he banged his head against the door. In his bedroom, he could hear the faint sound of Plagg cackling away. Walking into the room, he knocked the kwami out of the air with a well aimed roll of socks.

" _Shut up_!" he hissed, which, of course, only made Plagg laugh harder.

Groaning, he caught a look at himself in the mirror and hopped back in the shower for a minute to rinse off before drying off again and  _finally_ getting dressed. He was beyond caring what he looked like at this point, having already made a fool of himself, and let his damp hair flop in front of his eyes as he reemerged back into the living room wearing a sheepish expression. 

"Uh... sorry about that. I swear it's not usually like this. I don't think I've ever done that before," he explained, face flaming. 

She watched him with obvious amusement, pressing the side of her fist to her mouth to hide a smile. "It's ok. Happens to the best of us." He grimaced, glancing up at her, and another giggle escaped her. He was just too adorable standing there with bare feet and wet hair, looking like a sad kitten. 

It was clear he was mortified however, and she did her best to sober up, smothering the urge to grin. "Uh, I cleaned up the kitchen, was just about to order something in, but I figured I'd wait to see what you wanted first."

"Ugh," he groaned, burying his face in his hands. "I'm so sorry Mari. I had a whole nice meal planned, and I'm sure you're starving after all the work you've done today, and I messed it up and-" he stopped short when he felt her hand land on his arm. He startled, not having heard her cross the room. 

"It's alright Adrien," she assured him with an angelic smile. "I can survive a bit longer. I'm just sorry all your hard work was ruined."

She was amazing. Any of the other women he'd met over the years would've probably pitched a fit and complained, but she took it stride, even cleaning up his kitchen for him. 

"Thank you for being so cool about this, I feel awful." She just smiled and squeezed his hand. "I'll order something, make sure it gets here quickly. What would you like? There's a good sushi place just down the street?"

"Sounds good. In the meantime though... how about a drink?" she asked. "It's been a long week."

"Yeah, of course!" he snapped to attention, leading her back to the kitchen where he pulled out a few bottles of wine for her to choose from. A red blend, a chardonnay, and a bottle of champagne. "What can I get you my lady?" 

He winced a little when he realized what he'd said, completely missing the odd look she gave him. He never used that endearment with anyone but Ladybug. It had just slipped out. That wouldn't do. He felt odd enough about all of this without calling Marinette by the same name as his partner. He'd have to think of something else to call her. 

She shifted on her feet, looking a little off balance all of a sudden before pointing to the bottle of red. He smiled at her, turning the charm on as he put the other bottles away and pulled out two glasses. "Excellent choice m- princess."

"Princess?" she asked with a giggle.

"Eh," he shrugged. "Seems a bit more fitting. A girl like you deserves to be treated as such." He poured her glass and handed it off, nodding to the living room. "Have a seat, make yourself comfortable, I'll go ahead and order. Do you have any preferences?"

"Mmm, I don't really get too adventurous with my sushi, but I do like a good eel roll?" The corner of his mouth ticked up in a lopsided grin that made Marinette feel a little weak.  _Dieu, he was cute._

"Again princess, excellent taste." She watched him pour his own glass before recorking the bottle and setting it aside. "Make yourself at home, I'll be back in a minute." With that, he disappeared upstairs, presumably to find his phone. 

Marinette took the opportunity to look around the living room, idly swirling the wine in her glass as she glanced over the beautiful black and white photographs hanging around the room. They were mostly romantic shots of various spots in the city; the Eiffel Tower, the Pont des Arts, Luxembourg gardens. The room itself was decorated in soft, neutral shades of taupe and black, a wall of windows on one side opening up to a spectacular view of the Seine, and the track lighting high up on the ceiling was just the right level to offer the room a warm glow without being overly bright. Assuming he'd picked everything out himself, she admitted the man had good taste. The space was comfortable without being too masculine nor too feminine. 

While cleaning up a few minutes ago, she'd noted the flowers and candles he'd set out, admiring the effort he'd taken to make her feel welcome in his domain. She wasn't sure why, but something told her not many people, women especially, were privileged enough to be invited into his space. Supermodel and international sex symbol he may be, but she'd learned over the last few weeks that he was a rather private man. Hiding behind all the glamour and boyish good looks was a sweet man with a slightly quirky sense of humor. 

"That's my favorite." She jumped when his voice sounded just behind her ear. She hadn't heard him come back down. After so many years moonlighting as a superhero, very few people were able to sneak up on her anymore. 

"W-what?"

He nodded towards the photograph she was standing in front of, a long shot of the Eiffel Tower, partially obscured by a tree branch covered in small budding flowers. "That photo. That's my favorite." From her peripheral she watched him take a sip of wine, looking up at it from beside her. 

As she stared at it, she was reminded of Chat Noir. The tower was one of their preferred meeting spots. They'd spent many hours lounging high up on the beams, looking down at the city while they chatted aimlessly, simply happy to be in each other's company. A twinge of guilt hit her in the chest until she remembered that not that long ago, Chat had been talking about another girl and she'd encouraged him to pursue her. It wasn't like he didn't know she dated other men before, why should she feel guilty now?

 _Because you actually like this one._ She shook her head to dispel the thought, trying not to let her mood take a nosedive. 

"Did you take it?" she asked, taking a sip of the wine in her hand for the first time. She hummed in appreciation as the palate of flavors hit her mouth. He didn't just have good taste in decor it seemed. 

"Ha, I wish," he replied. "I don't have that kind of talent. I bought these off a local artist at an art show a few months ago. Beautiful aren't they?"

"They are," she agreed.

He smiled, placing a hand lightly on the small of her back and nodding to the couch. She allowed him to lead her into the room and took a seat on the other side of the sofa from him.

"So..." she began after a moment of silence. "Adrien Agreste knows how to cook then? I figured you just had a personal chef or something," she teased.

A faint blush tinged his cheeks as he scratched the back of his neck. "Uh, yeah, well, we did have one at my father's house when I was growing up. My father decided it was apparently a useful enough skill to have however. I took several months of lessons with some of the most renowned chefs in the country. Just another extra curricular," he laughed. "As if I didn't have enough of those already."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, between modeling, fencing, piano and Chinese lessons, and all my private tutors, I don't think I knew what it was to have a 'day off' until I was almost twenty," he explained a bit sheepishly.

Marinette's brows pushed together, looking adorably concerned. "You mean you never went to school?"

He shook his head.

"But- how did you make friends then?"

"Uh- to be honest, I didn't really have many friends growing up." To this she frowned. "My father was pretty strict about who I could spend time with, not that I had a lot of free time to begin with. I met some people through modeling of course, and Kagami I met through fencing."

"You two seem really close," she observed, sipping her wine.

Adrien smiled, thinking of his feisty and competitive friend. "Yeah. We've known each other since we were about fifteen. She'd my best friend." He frowned a little, "well, aside from Chloe I suppose."

"Chloe? You mean Chloe Bourgeois?" He noted the hint of distaste in her tone and expression which wasn't uncommon when it came to his oldest friend. Chloe had a tendency to... rub people the wrong way.

"Uh, yeah. Her mother was a good friend of my mother's. She's still friends with my father." She still frowned so he asked, "something wrong?"

"Hm? No. I just, didn't realize you two knew each other."

"She's not so bad," he shrugged, giving the practiced excuse he gave everyone who complained about her behavior. They weren't so close anymore, but she'd been his friend for so long he still felt a need to defend her. When Marinette spluttered into her wine a little, a thought occurred to him. "Have you met her?"

"Um-." she coughed, clearing her throat. "Yeah... I've known her since we were kids. We were in the same class together for years."

"Oh," was all he could say, his brows lifting. "I take it you don't have the best impression of her."

Marinette scowled a little. "You could say that." Marinette thought about all the people Chloe had been responsible for turning into akumas when they were younger. It had been several years since she'd seen the young heiress, but she doubted she had changed much since then. Just then Adrien changed the subject by asking how she'd met Alya and Nino.

He'd laughed when she regaled him with the first time she'd met Nino as a little girl and they had chased each other around the playground. She explained how she hadn't met Alya until years later when she was a teenager, and Alya had helped her stand up to a mean girl in her class. She hadn't had to say the name for Adrien to know the 'mean girl' was probably Chloe.

He asked about her parent's and what it was like growing up in a bakery, and they spent the next twenty minutes in pleasant conversation before their food arrived. Adrien answered the door, generously tipping the delivery boy before opening and arranging the containers in front of Marinette on the coffee table. She licked her lips as she surveyed the delicious looking options before her. It seemed Adrien wasn't much more adventurous than her as she mostly saw 'safe' options on the table. Tuna, salmon, crab. Either way, it looked amazing and she was ready to dig in as soon as he handed her a set of chopsticks. 

For whatever reason, her eyes flicked over his shoulder as he bent down in front of her, arranging their dinner, and she noticed the game console under the TV for the first time. Sitting on top of it was... "Is that Mecha Strike 7?"

Adrien's head popped up, looking over his shoulder, and blushing for some reason. "Oh. Uh- yeah. I have all the way up through 9 but... 7 is my favorite."

"Mine too!"

"Really?"

"Yeah! I loved the retro design they used!"

Of course she would. Leave it to the designer to appreciate the game's aesthetic more than it's upgraded features. Adrien narrowed his gaze as he watched her eye the game from across the room. "You... wanna play?"

He knew he said the right thing when her face lit up, a hint of challenge in her gaze as she turned her big blues on him. "Oh, I dunno. I wouldn't wanna ruin your high score."

He gasped theatrically as her eyes sparkled. "Is that a threat princess?"

"I don't like to brag but-" she leaned back on the couch, crossing one leg over the other as she buffed her nails on her shirt. "I'm the reigning Dupain-Cheng Mecha Strike champion eight years running."

"That so?" he asked, a smirk creeping over his face. He stood and walked over to the TV, powering up the screen and the console. Grabbing two controllers, he handed one to her. "Let's see what you got then Your Highness."

She took the controller from his hands with a predatory smile. "Prepare to be obliterated monsieur."

He snorted as he took a seat beside her. "As you wish."

 

Boy, was he in for a surprise.

Marinette handled the controller like a pro, her thumbs flying effortlessly between the buttons as her onscreen character pounded out a series of impressive combinations. He only ever had time to block, rarely getting in any shots of his own as she indeed obliterated him. To further add insult to injury, she would occasionally reach out to snatch a piece of sushi (with chopsticks no less), popping it in her mouth all without missing a beat in the game. All he could do was watch as she eviscerated his high score.

The first two rounds ended a lot quicker than he was used to, leaving him staring at the screen in shock as her name replaced his on the leader board and she whooped around a mouthful of California roll. He couldn't believe it. No one had ever beat him at this game, and here this woman had the nerve to do so in his own house, without so much as breaking a sweat. She looked downright adorable while doing it to boot. 

She washed down her latest bite with a generous sip of wine, turning to him with innocent eyes. "Three out of five?" she batted her eyes at him and he had a sudden urge to lay her across his knee. 

He gaped at her for a moment, turning back to the TV and shaking his head. His lips formed a pout when she tapped his nose and cooed. "Aw, don't look like that. I did warn you."

"You cheated," he accused, whipping around to point a finger at her. She batted it away with an offended scoff.

"Did not!"

"You so did. You had to have!" he gently jabbed her in the chest, which she returned with a jab of her own.

"Prove it."

"I- can't right now. But I will!" he leaned in until they were nose to nose. "You can count on that Missy."

She pressed a finger to his nose and pushed him away, the gesture oddly familiar. "Oh please!" she said with an airy laugh. "You're just jealous."

"Am not," he pouted, poking her in the side, noting how she squirmed out of his reach.  _A weakness._

"Are too, you big baby. Don't be such a sore loser."

"Who are you calling a loser?" he poked her again, this time wiggling his fingers lightly against her side. A squeal escaped her, and she shoved his hand away, freezing when she realized she'd given herself away. A mischievous grin spread over his face as her eyes widened and she started scooting away form him. 

"No! No, no, no-eek! Adrien!" she squealed, thrashing around has he sprung at her attacking her sides without mercy. He laughed, throwing his weight on her to keep her from escaping until she cried mercy. 

His hands stilled, sliding to lay flat on either side of her waist as she panted underneath him, her blue eyes glittering in the low light. The grin slipped from his face as he looked down on her, her skin flushed and glowing.  _God, she was_ _gorgeous._ He'd managed to eat his share of the sushi he'd ordered earlier when they were between rounds, yet, as he found himself slipping further into her gaze, he was suddenly ravenous. He took a moment to take stock of their position, very much aware of the way she felt laying underneath him, her breasts brushing his chest as she breathed.

Unbidden, a low growl made it's way up through his throat and he leaned in, closing the distance before-

"Breaking News!"

They both jumped as the voice on Nadja Chamack filled the room. He'd forgotten he had the TV programmed to switch to the news whenever an akuma alert came through. Which meant... 

Suddenly, they were both sitting upright, staring at the screen as they watched the report of the latest akuma sighting. Adrien scowled, cursing Hawkmoth for interrupting a very pleasant evening. The man had stayed quiet for the better part of the last two weeks and he chose  _tonight_ to show up again?  _Seriously?_ He'd waited all week to finally get her alone again-

A flash of something black caught his attention from the side of the room, bringing his mind back to the present. Akuma. Right. He turned to Marinette with an apologetic grimace, opening his mouth to apologize as they spoke at the same time. 

"I have to go!"

The both paused, blinking at each other in surprise. 

"Sorry-" they started again simultaneously, laughing nervously.

"Sorry, you go," she said.

"Ladies first," he insisted. 

"Uh- I just remembered something I- have to do. I'm so sorry."

"No worries," he said, feeling both relieved and disappointed. "I actually forgot I had something I needed to get up super early for tomorrow anyways."

"Rain check?" she asked with a small smile. 

"Yeah. Definitely."

"Thanks..." she paused, looking away for a second before abruptly turning back and giving him a heart stopping kiss. It was over all too soon, leaving him with a dazed look as she stood up and hurried for the door. "I had great time. Let me if know you want a rematch eh? I'd be glad to kick your ass again." She threw him a wink as she  shrugged on her coat and swung her purse over her arm. With a cheeky wave over her shoulder, she disappeared through his door, all before he was even able to blink himself out of his stupor and stand from the couch.

"Uh, hello?" Plagg called, suddenly appearing in front of his face. "Hero time!"

Adrien shook away his straying thoughts before they burrowed any further into dangerous territory as his lips still tingled from the contact of Marinette's kiss. "Right. Plagg-"

* * *

Marinette darted down the hall from Adrien's apartment to the stairs, sprinting up to the roof before she called Tikki to transform her. Swinging off the ledge, she let out a surprised yelp when she almost ran smack into Chat Noir as he vaulted his baton.

"Chat! I'm sorry, I didn't see you."

"No worries my lady." She noticed he seemed a bit distracted but didn't mention it. She was a little distracted herself after that kiss. Why had she done that? It was supposed to be just dinner!

Neither spoke as they followed the screams to the scene and arrived to find... something interesting.

Men in medieval clothing were battling in the streets, one man was climbing the side of a building towards a woman waiting on a balcony, on one corner was a man giving a soliloquy, and on another, a group in roman dress was surrounding a proud looking man. In the center of it all, a man wearing an Elizabethan collar was furiously scribbling away with a  glittering quill and parchment. 

Ladybug and Chat Noir stopped at a light post, watching the scene with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. "Shakespeare? Really? An Englishman?"

"English or not, the man was a genius my lady."

Ladybug sighed. "Perhaps, but- oh for goodness sake!" As they watched, another man was suddenly transformed into a ghost in knight's armor. An appearance which sent several civilians running when he moved through a wall and chased them from their hiding spot. 

Chat's baton shot out, cutting into the fight nearby before a young man was run through with a sword. "Easy there. What did he ever do to you." With Chat now engaged in the battle between the Capulet's and Montague's, Ladybug swung in just in time to keep Ceasar from a violent death, dropping him safely on a balcony before turning to engage the Shakespearean akuma. The man was too busy writing to see her coming and the battle was over before it really ever began. 

Snapping the glittering quill in half, she released the akuma and cleansed it, throwing her yo-yo in the air as she restored the streets to order, all without her or her partner having to use their special powers. Helping the confused victim to his feet, she patted his shoulder consolingly and sent him on his way. Chat shooed away the men who had been brawling after catching the poor Romeo that fell from the balcony he'd been climbing when his ivy ladder suddenly disappeared. 

Standing in the street with his hands on his hips and a grumpy expression he grumbled out, "well, that was... ugh, I can't even think of an appropriate pun right now."

Ladybug snorted. She couldn't help but smile even as she noticed her partner didn't seem his usual cheery self. "What's the matter kitty? Cat got your tongue?" His pout intensified and she bit her lip to keep from outright laughing.

"Now, now chaton, you look like someone knocked over your milk bowl." She lightly scratched under his chin, amused when his expression melted a little. "Did the bad akuma spoil your evening?"

She realized she'd hit the mark when he blushed and looked away from her. "Oh..." she pulled her hand back, feeling her stomach knot up. "Well, it's over now. You can- go back?"

"No," he sighed. "The moment's gone."

Ladybug frowned, thinking of her own moment that had been interrupted. She considered going back to Adrien's for a moment, before remembering he had said he had to be up early in the morning. She glanced at her partner who was watching a couple strolling down the street with a wistful expression. For the first time, they were both involved with other people at the same time. Perhaps she was imagining it, but she felt like their dynamic was already changing because of it. Feeling the shift in their relationship tonight, she desperately wanted to reconnect with him in some way. 

Well, since the akuma had been dealt with so easily, and she wouldn't be returning to her... not date... she decided to spend some quality time with her partner. They hadn't seen much of each other lately, both so busy with their civilian lives. 

"...if you don't have any other plans for the evening then, would you have some time to spare for your f-friend?" She choked over the word, knowing it wasn't a faithful representation of what they were to each other, but at a loss for any other appropriate title. 

He smiled softly at her, holding out his hand to her. "For _mew_ my lady? Absolutely."

She grinned when she heard the pun, knowing he was coming back to himself. Slipping her hand in his, they vaulted onto the roof of the closest building and  started running side by side towards their favorite tower. Along they way they were hailed by various street vendors who offered Paris' heroes hot chocolate, cookies and even flowers as they passed. By the time they reached their perch, they had the fixings of a quaint little picnic. Sitting across from each other on a beam, they enjoyed their treats and traded puns, laughing until well into the night when their miraculous reminded them it was time to retire. 

 


	7. Allow Me To Be Frank...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Adrien and Marinette have an important discussion.
> 
> 11/6/18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to let you guys know something, since I already mentioned this to my readers of As Time Goes On.
> 
> I do read every comment that comes through. Every time you guys make observations or suggestions, they are thoroughly considered and sometimes even adopted into the plot.
> 
> So, please, keep them coming!
> 
> Love ya! x

Adrien watched As Kagami tried, terribly, to hold in her laughter. “Go on,” he sighed, hiding his face in his hands. “Get it out.”

He flinched when she snorted, spraying him with a light mist of water. She covered her mouth with her hand, forcing herself to swallow before she continued laughing. 

“Thanks. I needed a shower,” he snarked, plucking up a napkin to wipe his face. 

“Oh, ho, ho. I’m sorry, but that was amazing! You were really naked when she showed up? ‘Just a friend’ my ass.”

”It’s not like I planned it that way! And I think we’ve already established that I don’t actually see her that way. Anymore.”

”You don’t say.” Kagami wiped her mouth of the water that had spilled onto her chin and took another sip as she eyed him across the table, her eyes dancing. “You talk about her literally all the time now. You’ve got it bad boy.”

“I know,” he lamented, burying his face in his hands again. It was true. The more time he spent around Marinette, the more he wanted her. “I don’t know what to do. I told her I just wanted to get to know her, but we both know that isn’t true. And then there’s Ladybug...”

Adrien thought back to the aftermath of the akuma that had interrupted his night with Marinette. He could see the pain in Ladybug’s face when she realized he hadn’t been alone earlier that evening. “I’m pretty sure she can tell I have feelings for someone else. I hate hurting her like this.”

Kagami frowned. “Why should you feel guilty? How many times has she dated other men over the years? What regard did she have for your feelings then?”

”That’s not fair and you know it,” he scolded, but Kagami was having none of it. 

“Oh give me a break. She may well have still been 'pining' for you while with them, but it didn’t stop her from being with them, so why should it stop you?” Kagami leaned forward, looking him straight in the eye. "I like Marinette. I think she's good for you, and lord knows you deserve better than what you've settled for."

He started to protest but she held up a hand forestalling him. "I'm not talking about Ladybug, I'm sure she's amazing, but you can't be with her, and I'm sick of seeing you rip your heart out for a woman you may never have. I meant these women you take to bed thinking they're going to satisfy something for you. We both know you're not  _really_ the one-night stand type. Just because that's all you've had doesn't mean that's how it should be."

"But, I can't really be with Marinette either. Doesn't that just put us back at square one?"

"Not really. I mean, yeah, it seems that way now, but it won't be that way forever. Personally, I think you need to stop caring so damn much about what your father thinks. It's your life not his. Why should he have so much say, especially when it comes to your heart?"

Adrien frowned. "You know as well as I do that my father can be ruthless when he wants to. If he were so inclined, he could destroy Marinette's career before it even began. I couldn't do that to her."

"Who says he will though? She already works for him, and she's not some mediocre designer from what I've seen. Gabriel would be a fool to let that kind of talent go to waste. If he were smart, he could use your relationship with her to his advantage. People love you, they'd be interested in whoever you were dating. That could bring more exposure to the company and to her designs. Honestly, it's kind of a win-win."

"Maybe, but I know Marinette doesn't want to be recognized just because of her involvement with me. And father is pretty firm in his beliefs about what he considers 'professional behavior' and sleeping with the intern isn't very professional."

Kagami sighed, sitting back in her seat and crossing her arms. "I'm not going to argue with you about it Adrien. I've said my piece. It's up to you to decide what to do about it. I'll just say that I don't think you have to keep settling for this existence that makes you so miserable. You're allowed to be happy."

Adrien reached out to her across the table. "I appreciate that. In reality tough, what I think or feel doesn't really matter if Marinette isn't on the same page."

She shrugged. "So, that's where you start then."

* * *

 

Saturday night, Adrien met up with Nino and Alya for drinks at a local jazz bar. Naturally, Marinette would be there as well. As always, Adrien spotted her from across the room as soon as she entered, the low lighting giving her a warm glow as she sauntered over in a sweater dress in boots. The start of fall had been ushered in with a cold front, and the chilly night air had lent a beautiful flush to her complexion. She smiled at him when he caught her eye, and he felt his heart tick up a beat. 

Suddenly, he was on his feet, his chair scraping loudly against the floor behind him as several people gave him curious looks, including his friends. By unspoken agreement, neither he nor Marinette had told Nino or Alya about their... previous interactions. As far as either of them knew, they had only been together that first night they had met. Even still, it didn't take a genius to read the desire radiating off of Adrien as he pulled out the chair next to him for Marinette to sit down. He didn't miss the way his friends smirked at each other as they watched him.

Marinette raised a brow at him, taking the seat he offered and greeting her friends. "Hey! Sorry I'm late. I got hit with some last minute inspiration and wanted to get it down before I left."

"I figured as much," Alya said with a chuckle. "You've been on a bit of a kick lately. I wonder where all that  _inspiration_ is coming from?" She looked pointedly at Adrien, causing both him and Mari to blush. 

"I-it's just that fall is my favorite time of year! You know that."

"Mmhmm."

" _Anyways_ ," Nino interrupted, sparing them both from further teasing. "I'm glad you're here now 'cuz I have an announcement." He cleared his throat, sitting up straight in his chair. 

"Guess who just signed a deal with Bob Ross Records?"

"What?!"

"Shut up!"

"Seriously dude?!"

Nino grinned proudly as his friends started congratulating him. 

"Babe that's amazing!" Alya cried, smothering him in kisses. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?!"

"It only just happened today," he shrugged, his face bright red as his girlfriend practically crawled into his lap. "We've been in talks for a couple weeks, but I didn't want to say anything in case it didn't work out."

"I'm so proud of you!" If it was possible, Nino blushed even harder as Alya started nuzzling his cheek, knocking his glasses askew. 

Marinette and Adrien chuckled at the display. "That's awesome man. Congratulations."

"Yeah, way to go Nino. That's great news!"

"Thanks guys." He shifted in his seat, gently pulling his girlfriend's hands away as they disappeared under the table. Adrien could've sworn he heard him mutter "behave."

Alya didn't seem the least bit ashamed, allowing him to place her hands in a more appropriate place while keeping herself pressed to his side. "I think that deserves a toast!" she cried waving over a waitress and ordering a round of shots for the table.

"Oh, Alya, no! Come on!" Marinette whined, pouting. She hated taking shots. For one, she could never get them down without choking, and two, nothing good ever followed. 

"Nah-uh missy. You're doing it. We're all doing it. You're not gunna pussy out are you, Agreste?" she asked, looking at him imploringly. 

"Wouldn't dream of it," he winked, nudging Marinette under the table with his knee. 

"See! If pretty boy can do it, you can!"

"I'm not sure that's a fair comparison," Marinette mumbled.

The waitress returned with a set of light gold shots accompanied by limes and salt and Marinette groaned.  _Tequila?!_  "Are you _trying_ to kill me?"

"Oh, come _on_! It won't be like last time," Alya waved a hand dismissively while Nino snorted and Marinette scowled, making Adrien very curious what had happened last time. "Besides, you've got him this time." She nodded to Adrien, and Marinette rolled her eyes, reluctantly taking the shot glass Alya dangled in front of her.

Alya made a short, gushy speech, and they all clinked glasses before licking off the salt on their hands, downing the shot and biting into the lime. "Woo!" Alya cried, shimmying her shoulders while Nino laughed.

The shot went down a lot smoother than Marinette expected, but she still coughed and spluttered a bit. A moment later, warmth spread pleasantly through her body, and she mildly regretted not having grabbed anything to eat before she came. Another round of shots was ordered, vodka this time, courtesy of Adrien, and soon, a decent buzz was settling over her mind. She leaned into Adrien as he laid his arm over the back of her chair, crossing her legs so her calf rested over his shin and she was close enough to smell his musky cologne. He absently trailed a hand along the back of her arm while he joked with Nino across the table, making her shiver. 

Alya told Marinette about the latest piece she was writing before gasping suddenly and pulling Nino onto the dance floor. Adrien held his hand out to Marinette questioningly and soon they too were on the dance floor, laughing giddily as they tried to keep up with a fast paced swing tune. A swirl of lights and colors surrounded her as he spun her around, and every time she bumped into his hard chest, or felt the bulge of his arms under her hands, the haze of lust surrounding her brain got thicker. 

All too soon, Alya and Nino were waving goodbye and Adrien was offering to walk her home. She clung to his arm, snuggling into the warmth of his side as they made their way down the street giggling and talking nonsense. Both of them missed the silver car waiting out front, and the fact that it followed them back to Marinette's apartment, waiting around just long enough to determine that Adrien would not be exiting again. 

Meanwhile, up in Marinette's apartment, the pair found themselves reenacting the first night they met as they stumbled through her door, clumsily pulling each other's clothes off, occasionally stopping to slam each other into walls and doors before falling into her bed together. 

* * *

 

Marinette woke to the sensation of something warm and soft pressing against her neck. The sensation trailed lazily down to her chest as she moaned, her hands automatically tangling in something soft.

"Mmm, morning princess," said a low, gravely voice somewhere near her stomach.  

"Morning," she rasped in response, settling deeper into her sheets for a moment before jolting up with a gasp.

Adrien only just avoided getting clocked in the face, jerking back and rolling to the side as Marinette sat upright in bed, slapping her hands across her chest. He chuckled as he watched her eyes close and her face turn red, her memories from the night before apparently returning to her. "You alright?" he asked, running a finger down her spine the way he knew she liked. Sure enough, she shivered, her breath hitching.

She cleared her throat, trying to cover herself even more. "Um, yeah. Just... got confused for a moment."

Sitting up, he propped his weight on one hand, reaching to turn her face to him with his other. "Mari," he said softy, coaxing her eyes open. "You don't need to be embarrassed. It's just me."

He let his hand drop as she bit her lip and looked away. He frowned at her for a moment, unsure how to interpret her sudden shyness. She'd been so affectionate the night before, but maybe that was just the alcohol? "Marinette?" He waited until she turned to look at him again before continuing. "I'm not really sure what's going on in your head right now. I need you to be honest with me. Please."

Her eyes dropped to the bed, glanced away, flicked back to him and looked away again. His throat tightened as he considered for the first time that he may be the only one who was emotionally invested at all. Maybe for her it was just physical? It wasn't as though her weren't familiar with that feeling, but the way she reacted to him, he thought she had felt the pull between them as much as he did. 

"Do- are you-is this-" he struggled to find the right words to ask what he wanted to know. "Are you, not - comfortable- with this _._ With _me_?"

Her eyes shot back to him, widening. "No! That is, I mean, I'm not uncomfortable with you. I just-" Her mouth hung open for a moment as she too seemed to be struggling. "Can I- be honest with you?"

"Please do," he said, sitting up straighter to look at her better. 

She tucked her hair behind her ears, finally uncovering herself. It was silly to do so anyways, it wasn't as though he hadn't already seen all of her, more than once now. And, she had  _definitely_ seen all of him. "I... ok, so, there's this  _guy,"_ she began. "We're not like together or anything," she hurried to assure him as he felt his heart beat painfully. "But I do- have feelings for him. Have for years. I'm pretty sure he feels the same way, but for-  _reasons_ , we can't be together."

Adrien's brow furrowed, noting how similar her words were to his own situation. All the same, he wondered where she was going with this explanation. 

"I, well- I like you. You're sweet and funny and... well, gorgeous. I just don't want you to get the wrong impression. I know you said you're lonely, and I-I get that, but I don't want you to think I can- give you anymore than this," she gestured between their half naked bodies, only covered by the sheet pooled around their hips. Her face flushed again as she bit her lip, not quite able to meet his eye.

Adrien felt a twinge of -something- even as he felt his shoulders relax. He wasn't sure what it meant, but he felt the need to reach out to her. Brushing her cheek with the back of his knuckles, he drew her attention again. "It's ok princess. I won't ask for anymore than you're willing to give. Believe it or not, I know exactly how you feel." He gave her a wry smile, which she returned, leaning her cheek into his touch. "I think it's clear though we're both attracted to each other, and honestly, I'm tired of fighting it. I like being around you, I like being  _with_ you, and if you feel at all the same way, then... maybe we can be lonely together?"

Her eyes searched his face for a moment before she nodded with a small smile. "I'd like that."

He smiled back at her, "Good."

With that settled, he let his gaze, drop to the smooth skin of her neck, his fingertips following the path of his eyes as they roamed lower and lower. "In the meantime, I'm  _starving_ and I think I'd like a little taste of something... and then perhaps some breakfast." A devilish grin took over his face as his hand dipped below the sheet and Marinette let out a breathy giggle, pushing him onto his back and moving to straddle him. Her dark hair fell around them like a curtain as she leaned in to suck his bottom lip between her teeth. Adrien hissed as she nibbled lightly, his hands digging into her hips and holding her in place.

"At your service M. Agreste."

* * *

 

Adrien sighed happily, running his fingers through his hair, inspecting his reflection. Sometimes, he really enjoyed the simple things in life, like a fresh haircut. "Bri, you're amazing."

Bridgette had been doing his hair for years now, and though she always did a great job, this time in particular took the cake. Or maybe it was just that he was feeling particularly happy lately. 

It had been about a week since his discussion with Marinette on Sunday morning. They had ended up spending most of the day in bed either cuddling or engaged in other  _activities_ to keep them warm. Since then, she had been back to his apartment one night for a dinner he managed to not burn, and a rematch of Mecha Strike 7... where he still got his ass kicked. With the madness of Fashion Week now behind them, they didn't see each other as often around the office. When they did though, they shared a private smile, while keeping their interactions professional. Even with Philipe eyeing them both suggestively. 

They had agreed it was best not to be seen out in public anymore than necessary, so unless they were with Nino and Alya, they would only see each other a couple of times a week at each other's apartment. He had swung by her parents bakery earlier that morning however, enjoying the blushing smile that greeted him from behind the counter when she saw him. She'd introduced him to her parents as her 'coworker', not that it stopped her parents from dropping hints as they greeted him with a friendly hug and insisted he take whatever he like free of charge. They were friendly people, which he already knew from his interactions with them as Chat Noir. The fact that they treated the great Adrien Agreste as just another person made him like them even more. 

"I know darling, but I doubt it's my skill with scissors that has you smiling so much." 

Adrien looked to Bridgette's smirking reflection in the mirror, noticing her husband Felix in the background, even wore an amused smile. He grinned, even as his face heated. Bridgette and Felix sometimes felt like the siblings he never had, though technically, Felix was his cousin. 

"Perhaps you're right," was all he said as the couple watched him with delighted curiosity. He turned to kiss her cheek, waving at Felix as he headed for the door. "Merci, Bridgette. Au'revoir!" 

Adrien set off down the street, smiling as he breathed in the crisp autumn air, a little extra bounce in his step. Once again, he was so lost in his musings, he was oblivious to the presence that had been following him around for the better part of the last few weeks.

Felix set down the magazine he'd been flipping through as Adrien left, looking at his wife with his signature raised brow. "I don't think I've ever seen him in such a good mood."

"I know!" she gushed. "I do believe our dear boy is in love."

Felix took her hand and tugged her down into his lap, giving her a quick peck on the lips. "Don't go getting any ideas  _cherie._ Leave him be. If you're right, and his father gets wind of it, he could ruin it for him."

"I know," she frowned. "Curse that man."

"Easy love," he soothed, patting her hip. "He's still family."

* * *

 

"Sir," the secretary interrupted her boss' contemplation of his wife's portrait with a soft knock. "I'm afraid we may have a situation."

"What is it Nathalie?" Gabriel asked, not bothering to turn around.

"It seems Adrien may have... formed an attachment. To a young lady."

Gabriel looked over his shoulder at her with a raised brow. "And?"

"Well, sir... she works here."

Gabriel waved his hand, returning his eyes to the portrait behind him. "An affair with another model is hardly headline news. We'll just be sure to pair them in the next fashion shoot. If they have good chemistry it could increase sales."

"...I never said she was a model, sir."

She watched Gabriel freeze but he said nothing. 

"She's an intern. Philipe's new protege in fact. Marinette Dupain-Cheng." 

Gabriel's memory prickled at the name. He vaguely recalled Philipe praising his newest assistant. He also recalled Philipe insisting she work exclusively with Adrien during the show last week. He sensed some scheming from his old friend, and he wasn't sure he liked it. 

"What would you like to do sir?"

"Nothing yet. Keep an eye on her. I'll look into it."

"Very good sir." He heard Nathalie bow out of his office as the door clicked shut behind her. 

"Well, my dear," he said, speaking to the portrait before him. "It seems our boy may be in some trouble. Don't worry though, I'll take care of it." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, look! Bridgette and Felix made an appearance. *Shameless PV reference* *don't care*
> 
> ok so this one was a little short, but necessary to start setting some things up. Hold on though, because things are going to start picking up after this >: )


	8. I Knew You Were Trouble When You Walked In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette and Adrien get an unexpected surprise.
> 
> 11/8/18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW!! A tiny bit explicit this time just FYI, not enough to warrant a rating change I don't think but still, you've been warned lol

Marinette was not new to the feeling one got at the start of a new relationship. That period when everything, no matter how small, seems bigger and brighter and more exciting simply because you have someone new to share it with. What she wasn't used to, was strictly sharing those experiences in private. If she thought sneaking around and hiding their affair would make things more stressful, she couldn't have been more wrong.

It had been nearly a month since they agreed to see each other privately, each of them for their own reasons. Their agreement had gone rather smoothly so far. At least twice a week, if not more, they spent the night together, usually at Adrien's place. Outside of that, they saw each other about once a week through Alya and Nino, and of course around the office. The need for secrecy only seemed to add more excitement for them both, as she and Adrien found increasingly creative ways to steal little moments together. 

Using Marinette's trademark clumsiness as a way to bump into each other, whether to discreetly pass notes or tokens or simply just to make physical contact with each other; using Adrien's knowledge of the blindspots in the building's security to pin each other down for an impromptu make-out session; playing footsie under the table when out with friends; or Adrien's personal favorite, feeling each other up in a crowded elevator, while everyone's attention was distracted elsewhere...

 

They were standing at the back of the elevator, against the wall, with a few other passengers, when Marinette felt his fingers trace lightly over her spine, making her shiver. She sucked in a breath, and straightened her posture as his hand dipped lower, sliding under the hem of her skirt, and skimming over her inner thigh. 

She focused on keeping her expression neutral, even as she felt her cheeks flush. She looked around the lift to make sure no one was paying attention to them. They weren't. She glanced sideways at Adrien, who had his nose buried in a report, looking for all the world as if nothing was happening, even as she felt his fingers slip under the side of her panties.

Her eye lids fluttered, and she bit her lip to smother a gasp when his fingers trailed through her wetness before slipping inside of her, just enough to taunt her. Her lips formed a little 'o' as she blew out a slow breath and attempted to tame the rapid rising and falling of her chest. 

Out of the corner of her eye, she swore she saw his lip twitch. He was enjoying her torment. The bastard. 

He played with her for a few seconds before withdrawing and hiding his hand in his pocket. She almost whimpered at the loss of contact, and was startled when he spoke aloud. 

"Mlle Dupain-Cheng. If you could, I'd like to speak with you about a possible commission?"

She resisted the urge to clear her throat, blushing from roots to toes, and instead swallowed thickly before responding. "C-certainly M Agreste. Uh- When would be convenient?"

He turned his face to her then, his expression perfectly neutral. "Now if you're available?"

She was keenly aware that they had the attention of the entire carriage and she struggled to keep her tone nonchalant, as though this was a perfectly normal occurrence. "Certainly."

"Excellent." He turned back to his report, effectively ending the conversation, as the rest of the riders turned their attention away as well.

To anyone else, nothing appeared out of the ordinary. They had all learned early on that Marinette often stuttered and blushed when interacting with Adrien. They simply chalked it up to another silly girl with a crush on the supermodel. Since Adrien was so good at keeping his poker face when around her, polite but uninterested, no one thought twice about their interactions, except to sympathize with poor Marinette for her obvious but unrequited crush.

She hated that that was what they thought of her, but she could do little about her reactions to Adrien, and since it worked in their favor, she was content to let her coworkers believe whatever they liked as long as no one put it together.

There was one other rider for the executive level, so she wasn't able to speak freely again until he had ushered her into his office and closed the door. As soon as she heard the door close, she spoke. 

"Tease."

He sidled up behind her before she could turn around, speaking into her ear. "You like it, princess."

She couldn't deny it, and simply hummed in response as he lead her over to the chair behind his desk, taking a seat and pulling her down to straddle his lap. His hands slid up her skirt, sliding her panties aside to continue teasing her as he had in the elevator, only this time, he was also trailing kisses from her lips to her collarbone. 

She dropped her head back in a soft moan, one hand gripping the back of the seat, while the other slid over his chest and abdomen to grip him through his pants. When he moaned against her neck, she moved to his buckle. 

"You locked the door right?"

"Of course princess." She'd never admit it, but she loved that nickname. Each time, he said it with such reverence, it matched the way he worshiped her body every time they were together, and just the sound of it was nearly enough to bring her to her knees. 

Speaking of which, as she unbuckled his belt, she attempted to slide down to the floor to do her own worshiping, but his grip on her back held her in place. "As much as I enjoy seeing you on your knees princess, there's no time." He moved his hand from where it had been delightfully employed between her legs to assist her in sliding down his pants and boxers before again sliding her panties to the side as he guided her down over top of him. 

They moaned into each others mouths, reveling in the feel as she sank down on to him. "Gotta make this quick," he mumbled against her lips. "I have a meeting in 10."

"On it," she responded, wasting no time with useless up and down movements and instead, grinding her hips in circles, back and forth. He hissed, fingers digging into her skin as he encouraged her on. 

" _Fuck, yes_."

He popped the top few buttons on her blouse, burying his face in her breasts as she moved. Her fingers dragged through his hair and in a record few minutes, she was quaking and shuddering in his arms as he quickly followed her into bliss. 

They remained there for a moment. Panting before they regained their breath and quickly righted their clothes. Adrien straightened his tie and held his hands out, silently asking for her approval of his appearance.

She smirked, rubbing a bit of lipstick off the corner of his mouth before giving him a thumbs up. He grinned and gave her another quick peck and a pat on the backside before escorting her to the door. 

"Coming over tonight?" he asked.

"If you'd like."

"I'm making my signature chicken fricassee. You don't wanna miss it."

She grinned up at him. "Wouldn't dream, of it." She winked before exciting.

He followed closely behind, and they both dropped another look over their shoulder at the other as they moved in opposite directions. He smiled at her, his signature, supermodel, panty-dropping smile, but she knew somehow, it was just for her and in that moment, she knew she was done for. She'd been denying it for a while, not wanting to acknowledge what it would mean for her relationship with Chat Noir, but she couldn't deny it anymore. She was falling hard for Adrien Agreste.

Marinette was still lost in her thoughts, she let out a startled yelp when she moved to step onto the elevator, only to run straight into Philipe, who was coming out. 

"Oh! Sorry dear. Glad I caught you though, we're due in a meeting in about two minutes."

"A wha- a meeting? Since when?"

"Last minute invite, straight from the boss' secretary. No idea what it's about but you and I were both requested specifically." Philipe regarded her with a proud smile. "You've been getting attention since fashion week you know? Once some of the senior designers caught wind of the work you did on my portion of the line, there's been talk about you. Perhaps Gabriel finally caught wind."

Marinette could do little more than regard him with a stunned expression and he took her hand and pulled her along down the hall, thrusting her notebook and pen into her hands before pushing through the doors to the conference room in front of him. The first thing she noticed when she stumbled into the room and slammed into the table was Adrien regarding her bemusedly from the other end of the room. 

"Ah, Adrien!" Philipe said as he sauntered in behind Marinette, gently pulling her along with him to sit opposite Adrien. Adrien's brow twitched upward as he looked at her, silently asking what was going on. She shrugged subtly, at a loss.

"Philipe," Adrien greeted the designer with a smile. "I didn't realize you'd be joining us."

"Didn't know myself to be honest. I was only just notified. Any idea what this is about?"

Adrien shook his head. "No idea."

The conference room door opened again as a tall, gorgeous woman with tan skin, long brown hair and large sunglasses sauntered in, primly taking the seat next to Adrien. Sliding the sunglasses off her face and placing them on top of her head, she revealed a pair of olive green, doe eyes, surrounded by thick, dark lashes that fluttered flirtatiously at Adrien, red lips curving into a seductive smile. "Buon giorno!" she said, holding her hand out to him.  

Adrien took her hand automatically, still looking bewildered. After a second, the woman frowned, looking pointedly at her hand and Adrien realized he was meant to kiss it. He raised her hand enough to lightly graze her fingers with his lips before releasing her with a belated greeting. "Ciao?"

Across the table, Philipe nudged Marinette in the side, making her aware of how tense she had become and that she appeared to be seconds away from breaking her pen with the force she was gripping it with. Unclenching her fist, she let it drop to the table with a light clatter, drawing the mystery woman's attention, who looked her over briefly, quickly dismissing her, before the door opened again and M. Agreste himself entered, followed by his secretary, Nathalie, Marinette believed her name was.

"Ah, Signorina Rossi!" Gabriel greeted as he moved to take the simpering woman's hand. "Glad you could make it. I know this was a bit last minute. I wasn't sure if your flight would get in on time."

"Signore Agreste," she smiled when the man brought her hand to his lips without hesitation. _Who the hell is this woman?_ "Thank you for your concern. It took some doing but I made it here in time."

"May I introduce my son, Adrien."

"Si! Though, I'm sure he needs no introduction." She winked at Adrien who had finally managed to school his features into something more professional.

"Adrien, this is our newest addition to the Gabriel modeling team. Signa. Lila Rossi."

"Pleasure," Adrien dipped his head to her respectfully, wondering why on earth his father was bothering to introduce them so formally. 

Gabriel turned his attention to Philipe and Marinette. "Thank you for joining us, again, I'm sorry for the last minute scheduling. I'm sure you're all wondering why you're here, so I'll get straight to it."

Marinette watched with fascination when the man unbuttoned his jacket, smoothing down his tie as he sat at the head of the table. He moved with a grace and poise that reminded her of his son, but with a coldness of manner that made her question if they were truly related. Glancing at Adrien, she was astonished at the change in his demeanor. It was though as soon as his father entered the room, Adrien ceased being himself. His posture became impeccable, his expression cool and detached, and he sat at attention, practically hanging off his father's every word. Marinette worked to keep the frown from her face, all too aware of the tendency of her internal thoughts to show externally. 

"Now," Gabriel said, drawing her attention again. "I've been working with our marketing team on this year's holiday collection. We've decided to go with a theme this year, holiday romance, in order to bring more attention to our growing lady's wear line. We'll be featuring formal, party wear as well as some more casual pieces in an extensive ad campaign that will include billboards, magazine spreads and even commercials. We'll also be launching a his and hers fragrance collection as well."

"Philipe," Gabriel turned to his right to face Marinette's mentor. "You've always worked on the holiday collection, and you will this year as well, but you will be aided by your protege, Mlle. Dupain-Cheng." His light green eyes moved to Marinette, pining her in place. "You've garnered some notice as of late it seems. I've personally reviewed your portfolio, and you have some very promising talent. I look forward to seeing what you can do."

Marinette felt her eyes widen, too stunned to respond before M. Agreste moved on. From the corner of her eye, she could see both Philipe and Adrien regarding her with proud smiles, though Adrien's was much more subdued. Gabriel's next announcement surprised everyone however. 

"Adrien, as usual, you will be staring in the advertisements, however, this time, you will be featured alongside Signa. Rossi. Some of the ads may be a bit more  _intimate_ than you're used to, given the theme, but I think after the success of your swimwear and underwear campaigns, you should be able to handle it no problem."

There was a beat of silence where everyone, except Lila, stared at M. Agreste in shock before he spoke again and shocked them even more. 

"The marketing team has also decided, and I have agreed, that in order to better sell the theme, it would be beneficial for you and Signa. Rossi to be... seen together."

Adrien blinked. "What?" he blurted rather inelegantly. 

Gabriel appeared to only just keep from rolling his eyes, before regarding his son patiently. "Since the theme is romance, in order to better promote the campaign, we plan to arrange for you and Signa. Rossi to pose as a couple in public. You will be seen together at dinner and various company functions, as well as some candid shots of you on set, at the park, the store, etc." He waved a hand as though speaking of inconsequential matters. "It will be easy. I'm sure you two will have great chemistry." 

Adrien felt his stomach drop, his eyes glancing involuntarily at Marinette who looked about as well as he felt, before falling on Signa. Rossi- Lila- who looked him up and down with a predatory smile. Before he could stop himself, he turned back to his father, "is that really necessary?"

Gabriel's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly, but his son, so used to interpreting his unspoken words as well as his spoken ones, understood the threat in that look. "Yes."

Adrien swallowed hard, forcibly keeping his eyes from Marinette, though he still watched her from his peripheral. "Of course, father."

"Excellent. Now-" Gabriel began expounding on the company's goals for the holiday collection, including the time structure for advertising and release. It was nearly the end of October already, so they would have to work quickly, and Gabriel promised to provide Philipe and Marinette with all the assistance they would need. It seemed Marinette had been unofficially promoted to a junior designer for the project, which gave Adrien no small amount of pride. She was talented his girl. 

The meeting lasted nearly another half an hour though neither Adrien nor Marinette absorbed most of what was said. Luckily, both Philipe and Nathalie seemed to be keeping very good notes. Adrien stared unseeingly at the mahogany table, thoughts running wild in his head. He'd spent years pining for his lady from a safe distance, unable to be with her, even with the mask on. Then he'd met Marinette, and for the first time, found someone he actually wanted to be with for more than one night, but even with her, he couldn't be with her as he wished. Now, his father finally allowed him to be seen publicly with someone, and it was not someone of his choosing. A literal stranger, and yet, he would be expected to feign affection, not just in front of the camera at a photo shoot, but on a nearly constant basis, lest they be seen by paparazzi. 

He was already unsatisfied with the limited time he got with Marinette and Ladybug as it was, now that time would be cut into by this woman beside him, who seemed eager to sink her claws in him. Exactly the type of woman he had spent most of his adult life avoiding. The way she had been looking at him when he turned to her earlier had nearly made him sick, and he could still feel her gaze boring into him. She'd only spoken a handful of words to him, yet he already knew he didn't like her. 

"Well, that's all for today I think." His father's voice startled him out of his musings as he brought their meeting to a close. "Thank you all again for joining us so last minute. Signa. Rossi, Nathalie will be reaching out to you very soon with a tentative shooting schedule as well as to arrange some time for you and Adrien to meet." Gabriel again took the hand she held out to him, Adrien automatically following his father's example when she held it out to him, before she was ushered out by Nathalie. "Philipe, Mlle. Dupain-Cheng, I'm sorry to put so much on you so last minute, but I have every confidence you can handle this. We'll meet again in a week to see what progress you've made. In the meantime I know you both have much to do so I will not keep you any longer."

Adrien watched as Philipe and Marinette rose from their seats, bowing their heads respectfully. "Thank you, sir." Marinette's eyes caught his for a moment as she made her way to the door, as big and blue and enchanting as ever. 

He moved to follow them out of the room before his father stopped him. "Adrien, I would like to speak to you for a moment if I may?" 

Adrien kept his face neutral as he turned back. "Father?"

Gabriel merely raise a brow as he passed him, heading through the door before him. "My office."

Adrien silently followed his father down the hall to the large executive suite that he so rarely used, preferring to work from home most of the time. As they entered, his gaze was drawn to the large abstract portrait of his mother that hung on the wall behind the desk. It was a beautiful piece, identical to the one Adrien remembered from his father's office at home. He recalled many times over the years, Gabriel saying that Emilie had been his muse. The inspiration for much of his early success. Adrien supposed he kept the painting around to remind him of that when he struggled for ideas, and he sometimes caught him staring absently at it with a distant expression.

Adrien had tried many times over the years to connect with his father, who had always been distant at best, but had grown gradually colder over the years since his wife's disappearance. While Adrien had found his own ways to cope with the loss of his mother, he wasn't sure his father had ever truly figured out how to deal with it. 

"Close the door," Gabriel called from the sideboard, where he was preparing a glass of brandy. Something Adrien had rarely ever seen him do and which immediately set him on edge. 

He did as his father asked, tentatively taking a few steps into the room. "Is everything alright father?"

"You've been sloppy Adrien."

Adrien stiffened, "pardon?"

"Mlle. Dupain-Cheng." Adrien felt the color drain from his face. "You've been seen with her multiple times now."

"I-I don't. Marinette is just-" he immediately began trying to explain, internally kicking himself when he stuttered, but Gabriel held up a hand to forestall him and he immediately fell silent.

His father turned to him, raised an amused brow over the rim of his glass. "Relax. I'm not going to forbid you from seeing her."

Adrien's shoulders fell in relief, but almost immediately, he was on his guard again. That didn't sound like his father at all. "You're... not?"

"Of course not." Gabriel shrugged a shoulder, taking another sip from his glass and regarding his son thoughtfully. "You're a young man, I understand you have certain...  _needs._ Mlle. Dupain-Cheng is a -pretty girl to be sure."

Adrien bristled at the insinuation that Marinette was only for his pleasure.  _Though, isn't that pretty much exactly what your relationship with her has been about?_ Adrien shook off the nagging voice in the back of his mind, refusing to believe that was true. It wasn't as though he spent all of his time with Marinette doing  _that._ Though, to be fair, they did spend a lot of time doing that... No, they talked, they cooked together, they played video games, they hung out with friends...  _She's more than just a hook-up_ , he insisted.

"However," his father continued, his voice lowering dangerously. "I will remind you of your obligations to this family and this company. With this latest campaign, your first priority is to your relationship with Signa. Rossi. If you wish to continue seeing Mlle. Dupain-Cheng, you will use the utmost caution. Am I understood?"

"Yes, father."

"That means you  _will not_ be seen with her in public. At all."

The meaning was clear.

Though he wasn't saying it explicitly, Adrien new he was no longer allowed to spend time with his friends. He swallowed his disappointment, debating wether to talk to Nino about it. He hadn't known him very long, and he wasn't really sure he would understand.  He made a note to find time to talk to Kagami again this week. He needed to be able to vent to someone. Someone with a sympathetic ear who wouldn't just brush him off and tell him he was being ridiculous. Sure, Kagami still did that from time to time, but he knew she understood his relationship with his father like no one else did, and while she may give him a little tough love, he knew she would still actually listen to him.

He considered talking to MArinette about it. He would have to find some way to explain why he suddenly wasn't part of the group anymore, but he didn't want to stress her out any more than she undoubtedly would be over the next few weeks. Perhaps, between her busy schedule and his, she wouldn't even notice, and once this campaign and the holidays were over, they could go back to the way things were, without her any the wiser.

_Ha! Sure. Wishful thinking._

* * *

 

Adrien paced around his apartment, dinner lying forgotten on the table. 

_She hadn't come._

He had a feeling she might not, after all the madness of that afternoon. He hadn't had a chance to talk to her again after his father's surprise announcement, and she hadn't respond to his text messages, asking if she was still coming over. He tried to convince himself it was because she and Philipe were busy working on the new line that had just been thrust upon them, but the little seed of insecurity in his mind told him, she just didn't want to see him. 

Plagg had watched him fret for about an hour, attempting once or twice to tell him he was overreacting before giving up and retiring upstairs while Adrien continued walking a hole in the rug in his living room. Though his feelings for both Marinette and his partner were complicated, to say the least, he wasn't blind to the fact that his feelings for Marinette had been steadily growing over the last two months since he'd met her. Every moment he spent with her, he could feel himself slipping further and further under her spell. To think that it could all be over now because of his father's overbearing idea for a campaign, made his heart twist painfully.

The black cat was supposed to be symbolic for bad luck, which he'd certainly seen over the years, but did it also mean he couldn't ever be happy? Just how far did this curse extend?

A small knock at his front door, pulled him from his melancholy thoughts as he raced to answer the door, hoping it was Marinette on the other side.

The door flew open, and Marinette was treated to the sight of a harried looking Adrien, his hair sticking up like he'd be running his hands through it. She watched his shoulders slump in relief as soon as he saw her.  _Goodness, he was adorable._

"Hey," she said with a small smile. "I'm sorry. I got caught up at the office with Philipe. I would've texted but my phone died." She waved the powerless device in front of her as if to prove her point. "I wanted to at least stop by to let you know I wasn't ignoring you."

Without a word, Adrien pulled her into his apartment, and kicked the door shut behind him. With an impressive show of strength, he scooped her up with one arm and set her down on the kitchen counter, his fingers sliding into her hair as he kissed her senseless. 

When he finally pulled away, they were both breathing heavily and Marinette had to clear her throat a few times before she could speak. "Well... I may need to show up late more often if that's how you're going to greet me."

Adrien groaned, leaning his forehead against hers, his hands settling on her hips as he held her close. "I'm sorry about today with my father. I had no idea he was going to spring all that on you. His timing couldn't have been worse considering how we were -uh- occupied just before that little announcement."

Marinette couldn't help but giggle. "I think he sprung it on you more than me. Is that something he does often? Have you pretend to be dating this model, or that to promote a new line?"

"No. That's the first time. Although," he grimaced, "I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised. He's been kind of pushing my boundaries as of late. What with the swim line and the uh- underwear campaign."

"Mmm, yes. I was a _particular_ fan of that one," Marinette teased, running a finger down his torso, feeling his abs contract at her touch.

"Mmm. Is that so princess?" he growled when she slid her hands under the hem of his t-shirt, splaying her fingers across his hard stomach. "Maybe you can get a private shoot later."

Marinette but her lip and shivered playfully, making him chuckle. "You must be starving though, after working so late. Just give me a minute and I can reheat dinner for you."

Marinette followed his nod to the table, noticing there were  _two_ full plates of food and her guilt increased. "You didn't eat already?"

Adrien blushed a little, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "I was a little- distracted."

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean-" He pressed a finger to her lips, shushing her.

"It's alright princess. Besides, this way, we can still eat together." A quick peck on the lips, he helped her down from the counter and ushered her to the table, where he gathered up their plates and headed back to the kitchen to reheat them. 

"I don't know about you but I could use a glass of wine?"

"Absolutely," she agreed. "I'll get that. Red?"

"Whatever you like princess."

She considered their dish of chicken and veggies before deciding white wine was a better choice, and pulled a bottle of Chardonnay from the fridge. She poured two glasses and recorked the bottle to put back, before thinking better of it and bringing it to the table as well. Adrien joined her after a couple of minutes and they enjoyed their meal, chatting about the progress she and Philipe had made that afternoon, all the while, neatly avoiding the subject of Signa. Rossi. 

Once the dishes were cleared away, they moved to the couch with their wine as Adrien played soft music in the background and they simply cuddled together in front of the fireplace, under one of the plush throw blankets. They didn't speak much for the rest of the night, simply enjoying each others presence, occasionally letting their lips and hands wander indulgently before Adrien suggested they head to bed.

They were both keenly aware that after tonight, things were going to change. Marinette would have to watch him parade around with another woman, while pretending like it didn't bother her, and Adrien would have to pretend feelings for a woman he already couldn't stand, while knowing the woman he wanted to be with, was forced to watch from the sidelines. Both of them knew their already limited time together would be lessened even more in the coming weeks, and they both hoped, it wouldn't change things too much for them. 

For while neither had said it out loud yet, they both knew they'd moved from "lonely together" to "together together", all without really meaning to. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought this would end up being longer than it was, but whatever. Inspiration has been hitting me pretty squarely for this fic lately, so there will be more coming soon I promise, but not till probably later next week.
> 
> Also... Lila's arrived! You know what's coming...


	9. Black Magic Woman

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so it took longer than I originally planned to get to this. I ended up getting a lot of inspiration on my other fic As Time Goes On and I focused on that for a bit, but I'm back now!

"Gorgeous!  _Gorgeous._ Yes." The photographer Michele, moved around them, snapping pictures from different angles as Lila clung to Adrien's side, one hand holding onto his tie like she was pulling him towards her.

She looked up at him with those big green eyes of hers, full lips twisted in a satisfied smirk. She seemed to think the slight, uncomfortable shifting of his body was because he was trying to hide his attraction. She couldn't have been more wrong. Ever since he had met her a few weeks ago, the woman had been persistently pushing his boundaries. Luckily for her, every time she did, they were in public, so he'd had little choice but to play it off, using every bit of his professional experience to keep the displeasure from his face, much as he was doing right now. 

"Beautiful," Michele continued, lowering his camera and approaching them. He reached out, placing a hand on Lila's shoulder, pushing her closer into his body. "Now, turn her into you, yes. Hold her close," he moved the hand Adrien had around her waist to the back of her neck, neatly tucking her head into the crook of his neck. He pulled Adrien's free hand from his pocket and brought it to the back of her dress. "I want you to slowly pull the zipper down, we'll get a few shots like that."

Adrien's eyes immediately shot to his father, frowning slightly but when he was met with only a cold stare through narrowed eyes, Adrien knew he couldn't argue. His eyes shot to the far corner of the set where he knew Marinette was watching, before doing as he was bid. He allowed a small grimace to cross his face before schooling his features as Michele began snapping photos again. He just caught the way her jaw tightened before he shifted his gaze downward, staring resolutely at the floor rather than the model in front of him. 

Lila still held on to his tie, her other hand slipping from the small of his back, down to his ass. At the same time, she took advantage of the position of her head in his neck, to press her lips into his neck, her tongue darting out for a second before her teeth nipped the sensitive skin there. Despite himself, his breath hitched and he flinched slightly. He heard her chuckle, once again misinterpreting his reaction. 

Of course everyone else on set was completely unaware of what she was doing as Michele continued moving around them, his praises joined by the rhythmic clicking of the shutter on his camera. He didn't stop Adrien until the zipper was almost completely down. "Bellissima! Bien, Bien." He lowered his camera again and clapped his hands. "Moving on!" He said it like a command, yet looked over his shoulder at Gabriel for confirmation just the same.  

Gabriel nodded and the crew sprang into action, pulling Adrien and Lila away to their separate corners to change into the next outfits and to reset the scenery for the next round of photographs. Marinette had been assigned to dressing Lila while Philipe worked with Adrien, the later giving Adrien a sympathetic smile as he approached. 

"How you holding up?" he asked discreetly as he helped Adrien out of his suit jacket. 

Adrien gave him a dry look. "I can't wait for this day to be over with so I can go home and drown the memory in a glass of scotch," he grumbled.

Philipe snorted delicately as he swapped the shirt and tie Adrien handed him for a long sleeve tee and a sweater. 

"That woman is a menace," he continued, pulling the sweater over his head while simultaneously kicking off his pants. "She doesn't seem to understand the concept of personal boundaries... And I'm French! I swear, it's like she thinks just because I don't blatantly push her away, that she has permission to keep touching me."

Suit pants and dress shoes were swapped for dark jeans and ankle boots. The makeup artist appeared then, adding another light dusting of powder over his forehead. The hairdresser followed, armed with a comb and a can of hairspray, and in no time he was ready to return to the set again. Lila approached from her corner, dressed in a cowl neck sweater dress and tights, her feet covered in knee length socks. 

In the time that he'd been changing, the set had been transformed from a plain grey background to a cozy living room, complete with a Persian rug and lights meant to imitate the glow of a fire. He was directed to sit in front of the sofa, leaning back against it and spreading his legs in front of him, where Lila nestled herself between them, laying back on his chest. She intertwined their hands, resting them on his raised knee where he could see that her accessories for this set included a flashy white gem on her ring finger. 

They snapped a few pictures in that pose, before Lila twisted around, using her ringed hand to pull his face down to hers, planting her mouth on his without warning. At first, Adrien was too shocked to do anything, as Michele snapped a few more shots, cooing approvingly. She whimpered a little against his mouth when he wrapped his hand around her wrist, squeezing tightly to tell her he didn't appreciate the trick, but didn't dare pull away until Michele or his father called the end of the shot. 

The rest of the day continued in a similar pattern, Michele directing them into increasingly intimate poses, while Lila continued to push her luck, testing Adrien's boundaries and patience. When it was finally over, Adrien begged off with a migraine, changing into his own clothes quickly and slipping out of the set before anyone could stop him. As he approached the car waiting for him out front, he shot off a text to Marinette, apologizing for the show she'd had to witness today, and practically begging her to come over later, promising dinner and all the snuggles she wanted. 

Once home, he ordered up his and Mari's favorite takeout, then hopped in the shower to wash off the remnants of the day, as well as the cloying perfume that Lila had seemed to be drenched in. Stepping out, he dried off quickly, throwing the towel over his shoulders to catch the remaining moisture from his hair and pulling on a pair of sweatpants. Making his way into the kitchen, he was just pulling open the liquor cabinet to pour himself a drink when a knock sounded on his door.

He pulled out a bottle of Mari's favorite red wine and poured her a glass as well, calling for her to enter.  _I should really give her a key_. He thought to himself. Lifting both glasses, he took a sip of his scotch, enjoying the warmth as it slid down his throat and turned around when he heard to door close behind Marinette. "I'm so glad you're here. I-" 

He stopped short when he turned around and caught her standing in his doorway, clad only in a trench coat. Only... it wasn't Marinette.

He felt his jaw drop when untied the belt of her jacket, letting it fall to the floor and revealing a set of delicate, black lace lingerie. Her lips curled into a smile as she sauntered forward, plucking the wine glass from his hand and took a sip. 

"Mmm. Merlot.  _Divino,"_ she purred.

" _Lila..."_ He choked out her name, the only sound he could manage at the moment, his shock so great. How the hell did she figure out where his apartment was, and what the  _fuck_ was she doing in it. Dressed like that.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to see you of course _bello_." Her smile turned amused, as though she were explaining something obvious. She stepped forward, pressing her body into his and sliding her arms around his neck before he could react. "We had so much fun today, I thought we should continue."

Even as tall as she was and wearing heels, she was just shy of eye level with him. He could feel her pressing up onto her toes to reach his lips and his body finally unfroze and started to desperately try moving out of her reach.  _I need to get her out of her before-_

Before he could finish the sentence, Marinette knocked and stepped through the still partially open door, freezing in place when she saw them. He could only imagine how it looked to her, him without a shirt, Lila clad in skimpy lingerie, both with drinks in hand, and her practically wrapped around him. Panic set in as he saw the color drain from Marinette's face, her mouth hanging open in a little 'o'.

"I-uh-" She blinked, pulling herself out of her shock. She turned and looked at the door, as if making sure she was in the right place. "...sorry. I- have the wrong apartment." She turned and fled before he could stop her.

The amused giggle that left Lila, pulled him out of his own shock, and flooding him with anger. "Oops," she laughed.

Again, Adrien gripped her wrist tightly, wrenching it from around his neck as she yelped in protest. 

"Ow! Adrien!"

Normally, he would've felt bad for hurting a woman, but his patience with this particular woman was long finished. With a rough shove, he pushed her away from him, wine sloshing from the glass in her hand. "What the hell is wrong with you?" he hissed, absolutely seething now. 

"Wha-I-I just-"

"You just what? Thought you'd show up at my apartment unannounced and uninvited? Try, to seduce me?"

She held her injured hand to her chest, blinking at him as her lips turned down in a pout. "But- we-"

" _We_ nothing, Lila. You and I aren't  _anything._ You signed a contract to appear in a series of advertisements with me. According to my father's instructions, we're to pretend to be a couple in public, but that is not the case in private." He took a step forward, pulling himself up to his full height and looking down at her, as he tried to get his point across. "You continuously ignore my boundaries, and my  _clear_ discomfort, taking far more liberties than are warranted to play your part. I've let them slide in the past because I didn't want to make a scene, but since you clearly haven't gotten the message, allow me to be clear now."

He took another step forward, crowding her space, and she took a tiny half step backwards in response. "I'm not interested in you. Regardless of how beautiful you may be, or what role we're playing, you aren't to touch me without my permission, just as I don't touch you. That means, no more 'feeling me up', no more surprise kisses, no more anything that isn't simply holding hands. Do you understand?"

Something fiery and dangerous flashed in her eyes and for a moment, he thought she might throw her wine glass at him. Then, just as suddenly, it was gone. Her shoulders relaxed and her lips settled into an easy smile. "I apologize," she said, her voice deceptively calm, though he could detect the slight undercurrent of something he couldn't quite name. Embarrassment? Anger? Disappointment? "I misread. I'm a very- affectionate person by nature. I must have misunderstood."

Adrien narrowed his eyes at her, still feeling wary, but she simply set her glass down on the counter and retrieved her coat, pulling it back on. She tied the belt neatly around her waist, pulling her hair out of the collar with a flick of her wrist and turned a sweet smile on him. "I'll leave you, and don't worry. I understand now." She held her hands up in surrender. "You're safe from me.  _Buonasera._ " 

She wiggled her fingers at him, turning and strutting to the door. A moment later she was gone, but the uneasy feeling lingered, as he watched the door close behind her, swallowing the contents of his glass in one go. 

" _Dieu_!" he exclaimed when he remembered MArinette, and the look on her face when she had walked in on them a couple of minutes ago. Rushing to his room, he snagged his phone, and dialed her number, silently praying as he listen to the dial tone on the other end.

No answer.

He ended the call, opting not to leave a voicemail, afraid she would delete it without listening. Instead he texted her, while Plagg floated over his shoulder, looking amused. 

**Adrien: I'm so sorry! She ambushed me. She's gone now. Please come back :(**

He stared anxiously at his phone until he saw the little ellipses appear, holding his breath until her response filled his screen.

 **Marinette: I didn't go far. Be** **there soon.**

His breath left him in a whoosh, leaning his hands against the dresser in front of him in relief. As an afterthought, he sent off another text to Nathalie, before sprinting back downstairs when he heard the soft knock at the door. Throwing it open, he found Marinette standing in front of him in the same sweater and leggings she'd been wearing earlier, fidgeting as she tucked her hair behind her ears and didn't meet his eye. 

"I'm so sorry," he said. "I had no idea she was going to show up. I thought it was you when she knocked on the door, told her to come on in. That was just-  _really_ bad timing. I'm sorry." He reached out for her, hesitating when she still wouldn't look at him. 

He watched her take a deep breath, finally raising her eyes to his, an almost challenging look in them. "Prove it," was all she said.

"Prove it? Prove what exactly?"

Her confidence seemed to grow with his confusion, she gently pushed him back into his apartment, following behind him and allowing the door to shut behind her. He stared down at her as she reached for either side of the towel still around his neck, using it to tug him closer to her. "How sorry you are," she said in a low voice, arching a brow at him. His blood immediately heated when he realized she was teasing him. 

"With pleasure princess."

For the next few minutes, his door saw an unprecedented amount of action, before there was again a knock on the other side and they scrambled to right themselves before Adrien allowed the poor delivery boy to enter.

* * *

 

After Adrien's little lecture to Lila, her behavior improved dramatically, though it didn't seem to stop her from trying to win him over. He played along for the most part, a reward of sorts for respecting his boundaries, and they made it through the rest of their photo and video shoots with no issue and in early December,  _Gabriel_ hosted a launch party for the holiday line. To everyone's surprise, rather than hosting the event elsewhere, M Agreste offered his own home as the location. 

Adrien now stood in the long neglected ballroom, Lila on his arm as his eyes wandered, marveling at the change in a room he had always associated with dust covers and cobwebs. It was now a shining display of wealth, with glittery holiday decorations and sparkling chandeliers. People milled about in colorful suits and dresses, drinking champagne and chatting amongst themselves. 

Across the room, he could see Marinette, wrapped in a stunning red gown he could only assume was of her own design, as she chatted with Philipe and Kagami. Normally, a junior designer (let alone an intern), wouldn't be invited to such a party, but since she had worked specifically on the line they were celebrating, she had merited an invitation of her own. Adrien was glad that Philipe and Kagami were also present to keep her company tonight while he was unable to be with her. He wondered idly what she thought of his childhood home.

He knew she came from a relatively modest upbringing, though her parents could be considered upper-middle class, given the success of their business. Everyone knew he was wealthy, but he knew from experience, it could sometimes be intimidating to those who weren't raised in it. Not that there seemed to be any reason to worry. Marinette had always held herself with a poise that was well beyond her years, and tonight was no exception.

He could see her in his world. Some might not think she belonged here, but she appeared just as much at home here as he had seen her in her parent's little bakery. He could easily see that she would be an asset to him in such situations, easily able to mingle amongst his set and converse with people when the introvert in him was feeling a little antisocial. 

_Woah. Where had that thought come from?_

He'd been denying it for a while now he knew, but he was falling for her. Hard. 

"Don't you think so _t_ _esoro?_ "  Lila's voice cut through his musings and he pulled his attention back to the conversation at hand.  _What had they been talking about?_ Not wanting to admit that he hadn't been paying attention, he simply smiled and nodded, earning him a smile from Lila to let him know he'd said the right thing. 

He kept his attention on the small group before him though he still only kept half an ear on the conversation. No matter how much he tried, his entire being seemed to be fine-tuned to Marinette's presence, following her progress around the room. That is, until someone brought up his skill on the piano and he was beseeched to play for them all. His father, naturally expecting such an eventuality, had had a grand piano set up in the corner of the room. 

He obliging agreed, leading Lila over to the instrument where he left her to lounge on the body of the instrument while he took a seat on the bench. He stretched his fingers and cracked his neck to buy him time while he thought of what to play. Glancing up, his eyes met a pair of brilliant blue ones across the room. Without thought, his fingers immediately began moving over the keys, playing a soft, romantic tune that had the room sighing in no time. 

Conveniently for him, Marinette happened to be standing behind Lila, in the perfect spot for him to watch her, letting her know the song he played was for her, while the rest of the room believed he was playing to Lila.

* * *

Gabriel Agreste watched from the corner of the room as his son began playing. To the rest of the party it appeared he was serenading his rumored girlfriend, the lovely Lila Rossi. Gabriel knew better. 

He could see where Mlle Dupain-Cheng stood at just the right angle for him to watch her as he played. It didn't take long for Signorina Rossi to notice as well. Only, Signa Rossi seemed to be under the impression he was looking at the woman beside her, Mlle Tsurugi. As clever as the girl was, she could be every bit as pretentious as many women of her stature could be. She naturally assumed that someone like Adrien would be interested in the sophisticated Kagami Tsurugi, rather than the talented designer beside her whom she seemed to think was beneath her.

He'd known many women like her in his day before he'd built his name up enough to be internationally recognized. Only his Emilie had ever seen him for who he was before then. Indeed it was her families wealth that had helped him build the enterprise he had eventually created. 

He watched as Signs Rossi struggled to maintain her composure, clearly filled with jealousy at the proof that she had failed to gain his son's affections, and they had instead been given to another. He smiled to himself as he could feel the envy and anger in her rising. Excusing himself, he exchanged a quick glance with Nathalie who he trusted to cover for his absence. 

He had work to do.


	10. I Put A Spell On You...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was so fun to write...
> 
> *cue evil laughter*

Adrien finally drew his attention back to the keys as he finished the song with a flourish, bowing his head when the room applauded. He was preparing to stand when he was urged to play another. Hesitating for a moment, the corner of his mouth ticked up before he responded. 

"I will play one more if my old friend Mlle Tsurugi can be persuaded to lend me her voice?" He smirked at Kagami as her eyes widened and she started shaking her head.

Years ago, they had discovered Kagami's voice together when they were goofing around one afternoon, and ever since then they had often played and sang together, though she rarely consented to sing for an audience. When he saw the way Lila's grip tightened on her champagne glass, he thought perhaps he should have asked her instead, but he had no idea if she even could sing and in any case, it was too late to back track now.  He would've preferred to have Mari by his side but he wouldn't dare call her out with his father in the room. 

He watched Philipe and Marinette gently nudge Kagami forward as those around them offered encouragement, and she slowly made her way over, shooting daggers at Adrien with her eyes. He just grinned and resituated himself at the piano. When she finally stood behind him, they conversed quietly for a moment, determining to play a Christmas song to get the party in the holiday spirit.

Once again, Adrien's fingers glided over the keys, playing a short intro to allow Kagami to collect herself before the first chords of White Christmas could be heard. The crowd watched, enchanted, as Kagami's voice joined in, and Adrien smiled to himself. 

Unbeknownst to nearly everyone in the crowd, Lila continued to seethe from her place next to the piano, the glass in her hand threatening to shatter. Marinette noticed the tension in the young woman's shoulders, a second before a little black butterfly caught her attention.  _"Oh no,"_ She whispered, watching as it fluttered down towards Lila. It absorbed into the ring on her finger, and she bowed her head as it's power took over, effectively hiding the telltale butterfly emblem around her eyes from the rest of the room. 

Marinette wasted no time slipping out of the room and into a deserted hallway to transform. She heard the moment the guests figured out what was happening as she was enshrouded in a glowing red light. She darted back into the room as the newest akuma faced down Adrien and Kagami. Lila's already pretty features had been exaggerated even more, giving her an otherworldly beauty, and the dress she was wearing became tighter, and more revealing. 

She pressed her fingers to her lips, blowing a kiss towards the cowering crowd, a cloud of pink fog following in it's wake. Ladybug watched as every person hit by the fog suddenly turned into lovestruck fools, climbing over each other to get to Lila, or Vixen as she was apparently calling herself. She grinned wickedly before turning back to Adrien, who was holding an arm protectively in front of Kagami. 

"And now my dear Adrien, you'll finally be mine. As for you,  _Mlle Tsurugi,_ " Lila held up a hand, displaying an impressively sharp manicure. "You won't be able to steal him from me anymore."

"What?!" they both cried in unison. Ladybug rolled her eyes at the absurdity of it all, jumping in front of both of them just as Vixen blew another kiss, using her yo-yo to safely disburse the fog.

"Ladybug!" she heard Adrien sigh in relief. "Great timing."

She looked over her shoulder at him, "Get yourself and your friend to safety. I'll take care of this one. Chat Noir should be here soon."

He grinned at her, before pulling Kagami away, and Ladybug took a moment to watch them leave before turning her attention back to Vixen. A mistake, she realized, when she suddenly found herself cornered by Vixen's growing mob of admirers. They appeared to be subject to her whims as she ordered them to attack, and they launched at Ladybug on command. Ladybug leapt in the air, catching her yo-yo on a chandelier and using it to swing her across the room. 

She shielded more guests from Vixen's kisses as they scrambled to escape the room. Now and then she'd have to pause to fight off or dodge another of Vixen's army, hopping about the room as she tried to determine how to get close enough to Vixen to grab her ring. After a few minutes, she wondered where her partner was. Surely an event like this being attacked by an akuma would gain some attention. She expected him here by now. 

"Need some help my lady?" Speak of the devil. Her partner landed next to her, baton already out and swinging. They automatically posted up back to back, fighting back the army that surrounded them from all sides. 

"Well, well. Look what the cat dragged in. Nice of you to join me kitty."

"Sorry my lady, I was a little purr-occupied."

"Ugh," Ladybug groaned, even as she smiled. "That's the best you could do?"

"I'll try harder," he promised with a chuckle.

"Damn it!" Ladybug cried as she spied Vixen disappear through a doorway on the other side of the room. "She's getting away. She's after Adrien Agreste and his friend Kagami, we can't let her get to either one of them!"

"Hold tight my lady," Chat spun around, grabbing her by the waist as he used his baton to vault them over the crowd.

"She went that way!" Ladybug pointed towards the door she had seen Vixen leave through and the pair ran towards it, Ladybug using her yo-yo to pull the doors shut behind her. It should keep the mindless hoard busy for a moment, while she and Chat tracked down the akuma. 

"She wants to enslave Adrien like the rest of those poor people," she explained as they ran. "She wants to hurt his friend though. Apparently she's under the impression Kagami is his lover? We have to get her ring away from her. That's where the akuma is."

Chat's brows furrowed. "How did you figure that out already?"

"Call it a hunch," she said, rounding a corner, and just catching Vixen's form disappearing down another hallway. "There she is. Vixen!"

Vixen spun around, blowing a kiss as she went. Ladybug was just able to get her yo-yo spinning in time before they ran face first into a wall of the enchanted fog. Vixen snarled, flashing her claws again. "Ladybug, Chat Noir. So glad you could make it to the party. You won't stop me from getting Adrien and that stupid bitch of his." 

Chat growled next to her and Ladybug felt a protective instinct rise in her. She'd liked Kagami from the very first time she met her, there was no way she'd let Vixen lay a finger on her. 

"We can do this the easy way, or the hard way," Vixen cooed, her lips peeling back to show the unusually pointed canines hiding in her blindingly white smile. "Give me your miraculous, or I'll take them. If you won't join my army willingly, I'll gladly settle for tearing you to shreds."

"That's some impressive bling you're rocking there Vixen," Chat said from beside Ladybug. "Mind if I take a closer look?" he held out his hand, showing off his own claws, as Vixen snatched away the hand with the ring and took a swipe at him with her other hand. 

Chat was unfazed, dodging her claws and lunging forward. Ladybug attempted to use her yo-yo to wrap Vixen up and hold her in place, but she smoothly stepped aside, and instead her yo-yo caught Chat who tripped to his knees with a grunt. "Oh! Sorry Chat," she retracted her yo-yo while Vixen laughed, traipsing away down the hall again. 

"She's a sly fox," Chat said, allowing Ladybug to help him to his feet again. "Need to be careful with that one. Come on."

"We can't let her find Adrien or Kagami," Ladybug repeated, fighting back the fluttering of worry in her chest. 

"Don't worry my lady. She won't find them."

They caught up with Vixen again in the foyer, engaging her in combat, as they attacked her from both sides. They almost had her cornered when her army finally found them, and suddenly they had problems. Ladybug growled in frustration, tossing her yo-yo in the air and calling for her lucky charm. A large, rolled up piece of paper fell into her hands. She unfurled it to find a giant picture of Kagami, decked out in fencing gear and posing menacingly. 

"What on earth?" It was a moment before she realized it would be the perfect distraction. "Ah ha! Chat Noir! I need your baton!"

Chat gave her an incredulous look before catching on when she held the poster up for him. Extending his baton, he snatched poster from her hand and pinned it to the wall in front of Vixen's face as she was attempting to slip away again. Roaring in displeasure, she lashed out with a clawed hand, shredding the poster as Ladybug's yo-yo shot out, catching her hand. Vixen struggled against the string as Ladybug reeled her in and Chat leapt forward to pluck the ring from her finger, tossing it to Ladybug who crushed it under her foot, releasing the akuma. 

Ladybug released Vixen to capture the akuma. One purifying ritual and magic reset later, Lila was on the ground before them, clutching her head and looking very confused. 

"Wha-what happened?"

Ladybug handed her ring back to her. "You let your jealousy get the better of you and were akumatized."

For a fleeting second, Lila looked horrified, before snatching her ring back and pulling herself to her feet. Rushing to a mirror, she fretted over her appearance. "How humiliating. Ugh, this will never do, my hair is ruined!" she screeched, seeming unconcerned that she had just terrified a party full of people as she hurried back down the hall towards the ballroom. "What will Adrien think?!" 

Ladybug saw Chat drop his head back with a silent groan as Kagami peeked her head out from a door on the floor above. 

"Is it over?" she asked.

"It's over Mlle. You're safe now." Ladybug assured her with a smile, before frowning. "Wait, where's Adrien?"

Kagami's mouth dropped open, but before she could answer, Chat jumped in. "My lady, you used your lucky charm, your transformation is going to wear off soon. You should go. I'll check on Adrien," he said, moving up the stairs toward Kagami. She gave him a conspiratorial smile and Ladybug wondered if perhaps Kagami was the woman Chat had alluded to having feelings for. 

Her miraculous beeped, and she shook off the thought, filing it away to ponder later. "Ok, well... I'm glad you're alright Mlle. I'll see you later Chat."

"Bonsoir my lady!"

Ladybug ran out of the room, finding an empty space to transform back before rejoining the party, where she saw Adrien return with Kagami. Gabriel, arrived a moment later, apologizing to his guests for the disturbance, and wrapping things up early since not many people seemed to be in the partying mood anymore. Adrien caught Marinette's eye from across the room, when Lila reattached herself to his arm, as they said farewell to the guests now leaving. 

Kagami made her way over, taking Marinette's arm and gently leading her out of the room. "Come on. It'll be a while before he can escape. I'll give you ride."

Marinette smiled gratefully at her, squeezing her hand. "Are you alright? I was worried about you."

"Oh, yeah. I was fine. Ladybug showed up quickly, and Adrien and I were able to hide. What about you? I never saw you leave the room, did you get caught up in the Vixen's army or were you able to hide too?"

"Uh, yeah. I actually saw the akuma coming and ducked out before Lila transformed, but I heard her threaten you."

"Oh, lucky break there. No one else noticed until she turned into Vixen. I'm glad no one got hurt though. Ladybug must've been nearby to get here so fast."

Marinette bit her lip, holding back a laugh.  _You have no idea._

* * *

 

Kagami and Marinette chatted pleasantly during the ride home, agreeing to meet up for lunch soon as Kagami's driver dropped her off in front of Adrien's apartment building. Marinette blushed when she realized she'd never given Kagami directions for where to take her. The other woman shot her a wink as she waved goodbye and drove off again. Marinette shivered as she stood on the curb, realizing she'd forgotten her coat at the Agreste mansion. Oh well, Adrien could probably get it for her later. 

She made her way inside the building, letting herself into Adrien's apartment with the key he had given her after the incident with Lila a couple weeks ago. Adrien usually kept a stash of sweets in the kitchen for Marinette though he rarely ate them himself, and she sifted through the assortment of pastries on the counter to find a snack for Tikki before pouring herself a glass of wine, and starting up the fire in the living room to warm the apartment. Making herself comfortable on the couch, she waited for Adrien to return.

Adrien pushed open the door a half an hour later, hanging up his coat and the one Marinette had left behind at his father's house, trudging into the kitchen to pour himself a drink. He smiled when he saw Marinette reclining on the chaise.

"Hello princess." He felt Plagg slip out of his jacket to sneak into the fridge for some cheese and Marinette rose from her seat, her silhouette beautifully outlined in the firelight. 

"Wait," he said, halting her movements as he downed his drink and slowly took a few steps forward. Sliding off his jacket, he dropped it over the back of an armchair, reaching for his tie as his eyes dragged over her, drinking her in. "I wanna look at you."

Even in the dim light, he could see her blush, shifting slightly under his gaze. Loosening his tie, he let it hang around his neck, holding out his hand to her. She took it silently, letting him lead her upstairs. Once in his room, he walked her over to the bed, moving behind her as she faced the mattress. Leaning forward, he nuzzled her neck, breathing in her perfume as she shivered. She rolled her head to the side as he placed featherlight kisses from behind her ear to her shoulder.

Reaching around in front of her, her gently wrapped his hand around her throat, tilting her head where he wanted it, as his other hand began unzipping her dress. Sliding his hands to the straps he pushed them off her shoulders and watched as the fabric slithered down her body to pool on the ground around her feet. Sliding the tie from around his neck, he brought it up to cover her eyes, carefully tying it behind her head, enjoying the way her chest rose and fell as her breath quickened. 

His hands slid leisurely over her body while his mouth returned to her neck, reveling in her reactions to his touch. "Relax princess," he whispered in her ear. "I missed you tonight. Hated not being by your side, especially when you were dressed like that." He slowly crouched down, trailing kisses down her back until he reached her underwear which he dragged off with his teeth, before helping her out of her heels. 

He felt her trembling as he stood and turned her around to face him, finding her lips. Lifting her in his arms, he laid her out on the bed and crawled up over her. Her breath hitched when he caught her lip between his teeth and he thought he was about ready to combust when her hands gripped his shirt, pulling him closer. "Let me take care of you tonight."

His lips took hers again and they melted into each other, losing themselves in one another for the rest of the night.

* * *

Marinette woke in the middle of the night, craving water. Carefully pulling herself out of Adrien's arms, she slid out of bed and pulled on the first bit of clothing she could find which happened to be his shirt from that evening. Padding her way downstairs to the kitchen, she grabbed a glass from the cabinet and pulled open the fridge, looking for the filtered pitcher he usually kept water in. 

Blinking in the bright light from the door, she froze, blinking again to make sure she wasn't still asleep. Surely she wasn't seeing what she thought she was. A little black cat, the tiniest she'd ever seen, sat frozen in front of her, cheeks half stuffed with cheese. For a moment, they simply stared at each other before the little creature swallowed.

"Oops." 

Marinette shrieked, dropping the glass in her hand. 

Upstairs, Adrien jerked awake at Marinette's scream, pulling on his boxers as he ran downstairs to find her perched on top of the counter, staring at the fridge. His eye's darted around, noting the broken glass on the floor, and he wondered if maybe she'd seen a bug or something, until...

"Plagg!" his eyes widened when his kwami phased through the door of the fridge, causing Marinette to squeak again. 

"What?!" the little God replied. "It's not my fault your girlfriend was sneaking around the kitchen in the middle of the night."

"Y-you- you're-" Marinette pointed at him with wide eyes.

He held up his hands, trying to calm her, and coax her down from the counter before she accidentally fell. "Woah, ok. Mari, it's ok. Just come here, please. I promise I'll explain."

He breathed a sigh of relief when she allowed him to pull her safely down, standing her up in front of him. 

"You're Chat Noir," she whispered, her eyes falling to the ring on his hands. "Oh my god. Oh. My. God!"

"Ok, Mari, princess, please calm down." She started pacing in front of him, running her hands through her disheveled hair, absently he thought she'd never looked so beautiful as she did right now, wearing his shirt. 

"Oh my god. I can't believe I didn't realize it sooner. Stupid! So stupid!" She smacked herself in the forehead and he grabbed her wrists to keep her from doing it again. 

"Hey! Ok, seriously. It's fine. No one's ever figured it out before. You're not stupid."

She looked at him then, a sudden manic laugh bursting out of her, startling him. "No, no. You don't understand." She looked over her shoulder into the kitchen, and called out. "Tikki!"

A little red creature zipped up to float next to Plagg who was grinning wildly. He nudged the little creature beside him who frowned disapprovingly and it took Adrien a moment to register what he was seeing. 

"Oh, you're kidding." This couldn't be real. No way. After all this time, could it really be that simple?

"My lady?" he asked, turning back to Marinette who could do nothing but laugh. Now he was laughing, pacing away as the events of the last few months took on a new light. 

He laughed even harder at himself when he remembered something. "Oh god. The other night, on patrol. I was so jealous because I smelled another man on you but... it was me! I was jealous of myself."

They laughed together for another minute before Tikki interrupted them in an admonishing tone. "I'm glad you both think this is funny. You're putting yourselves in danger by knowing each other's identities. You know you're not supposed to know. Not yet anyways."

"Oh, lighten up Sugarcube," Plagg cajoled her. "You gotta admit, after watching them dance around each other all this time, completely oblivious, it's pretty entertaining."

The kwami huffed out a breath and crossed her little arms. "We need to let Master Fu know you both know who the other is now. If one of you gets caught, it could put both of you in danger."

"Oh come on, Tikki," Marinette said. "When have we ever been caught? Honestly, I think this might be a good thing. Now that we know who the other is, I won't be worried about if Adrien is safe or not during an attack and vice versa. Not to mention, if one of us is late showing up for an akuma, now we'll know why."

"Yeah," Adrien agreed. "Plus, since we already know each other so well, it can only make our partnership stronger. It'll be fine."

"You worry too much Tikki," Plagg said, pulling her into his side. She still frowned but relented.

"Fine, but be careful!"

"We will," They assured her, before rushing back upstairs. Now that their secrets were out, they suddenly had a lot of lost time to makeup for.

Yeah, their identities were out now, and they'd always been told how dangerous it was, but neither of them could see a downside to it at the moment. How bad could it be?

* * *

Once the guests had left, and he had sufficiently admonished Adrien for riling Lila up with his little stunt on the piano with Kagami, Gabriel retired to his study, Natalie by his side as he began scrubbing through the security footage of the evening. It hadn't escaped his notice how quickly Ladybug had appeared, showing up nearly the same instant Lila was transformed. Which meant, she had been at the party already and had known what was happening. 

He watched the footage of the ballroom closely while Adrien and Kagami performed, noticing when Mlle Dupain-Cheng slipped out of the room, just as the akuma found it's victim. Skipping through the footage in the surrounding hallways, he watched as she ran through the hall, managing to find a blindspot in the camera's reach, as Ladybug appeared a second later in the same frame Marinette had just disappeared through.

 _It can't be._  

He sat forward in his seat, skipping through to the end of the fight, and again following ladybug as she disappeared from the foyer, finding another blindspot and reappearing as Marinette immediately after. Gabriel felt a grin spread over his face, as he replayed the footage over and over. 

"I've got you now Ladybug. It's only a matter of time."

 

 


	11. Dangerous Woman

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 😈

"Are you purring?" Marinette giggled weakly as she lay tangled up in Adrien's arms. She hadn't slept much before she had woken up and gotten the surprise of her life, and after a few more rounds of fun, she was too exhausted to even open her eyes.

"Mmm," Adrien said sleepily, pulling her just a little closer as his chest gently vibrated. "Side effect of the ring. I usually try to hold it back but since you know now, I don't see the point."

Marinette's lips curled into a smile. "It's cute." Adrien responded by nuzzling his nose deeper into her hair.

As tired as she was, her mind wasn't quite ready to let her sleep yet. There were still a few things she needed to know. "You're not upset?" she asked quietly.

"Upset? Why on earth would I be?"

"I mean, that I'm Ladybug? You're not.. disappointed?"

Adrien stilled, before pulling back and lifting her chin to look at him. "How could you even think that? Of course not... are you disappointed?"

She smiled softly, reaching up to smooth the little crease between his brows, trying to ease his worry. "Of course not. For a long time, I was feeling so guilty for just being with you. Like I was betraying you-Chat you- in some way. I could feel myself falling and I couldn't stop it. Little did I know, I wasn't falling for someone else, I was just falling for another side of the same person."

Adrien beamed and kissed her thoroughly, stealing her breath away. "I felt exactly the same way my lady... I love you," he said, testing out the words for the first time. It felt amazing.

"I love you too," she replied. The response didn't set his heart to pounding as he expected it would. Instead, a sort of peace fell over him, like everything was finally right with the world. 

"Move in with me," he found himself saying.

Mari's eye's widened, her brows shooting up. 

"Sorry," he cringed. "Is that too fast? I just thought-"

"No," she said. "It's not too fast, I'm just... surprised. Happy surprised. You really want me to move in?"

He shrugged, trying to play it off as no big deal. Part of him was still worried this was all some crazy dream he'd wake up from any second. "You spend most of your time here anyway. I mean we may have to wait until after the holidays and all. Father will kill us both if we ruin his precious ad campaign by destroying the Liladrien picture he's worked so hard to create."

Marinette scowled at that, her frown suddenly deepening. "I'm still not sure if it's a good idea for word to get out about us anyway. People know I worked on that campaign, I don't want them to assume I was only put on the project because of you."

Adrien sighed. "Mari, if there's anything I've learned from being in the spotlight, it's that people will think whatever they want to think, regardless of the truth. Even if we weren't actually together, there would still be people who assumed you did something underhanded to get you there. You know the truth, I know it, so do Philippe and my father. Really, I think that's what truly matters. At the end of the day, your conscious is still clear."

"I suppose you're right," she said, snuggling back into his side. "We're really doing this then?"

Adrien grinned, thinking he'd like to do much more than just having her move in, but he could wait for that. "Yes my lady. We really are."

He could feel her smile against his chest before she lifted her head again, another thought striking her. "Does anyone else know? About your identity I mean? Have you ever told anyone?"

"Kagami," he said with a grimace. Marinette's lips pursed and he hurried to explain. "You gotta understand, growing up, she was the only real friend I had. We talked about everything, she's probably the only person in the world beyond you that knows all my secrets. She's known pretty much from the beginning and she's never said a word. You can trust her, I promise."

"I believe you," she said. "I haven't known her long, but I can tell you two are close and she cares about you. I believe she'll keep your secrets, I'm just not sure I want her knowing mine."

"Don't worry, I won't say a thing. Though I will warn you, she's very astute, she may well figure it out on her own."

"Yes, I've noticed."

"What about you? Have you told anyone? Does Alya know?"

Marinette snorted. "Alya? The Ladyblog moderator? Are you kidding? Of course I didn't tell her. She's my best friend and I love her, but she's like a dog with a bone when she catches wind of a secret. She'd probably get too excited and blurt it out to the world before thinking it through if she ever found out. You remember Lady Wi-fi don't you?"

"Oh yeah..."

She giggled. "Exactly. I did tell my parents though. They only found out a couple years ago though. They were starting to get too suspicious of my sudden disappearances and increasingly lame excuses, I had to."

Adrien nodded, that made sense, not that he could ever picture telling his father his secret. He didn't have the same kind of relationship with his father than Marinette had with her parents. He knew they'd rather die than let anything happen to their little girl. 

"That's all though, they're the only ones besides you and Master Fu of course."

"Yeah," he said. Then, thinking of Tikki's reaction earlier, he felt a bit guilty for brushing off her concerns so easily. She and Plagg had been doing this for a long time, and while he knew Plagg had a tendency to be a bit too blithe about serious things, he had a feeling Tikki was much more rational. "Speaking of Master Fu, we should probably pay him a visit soon."

"Yeah, I was thinking about that too. Tikki's right, he should know our secret is out. I still think she may be overreacting a bit though."

"Agreed. Perhaps we can go see him later today... after we've gotten some sleep."

"I couldn't agree with you more kitty." 

He sighed happily as she settled in his arms, and they drifted off into a contented sleep.

* * *

 

The design floor was a madhouse that morning. Adrien and another male model stood at one end of the room watching the chaos as designers and interns alike ran around like lunatics, snapping at each other. In the midst of all the craziness were Marinette and Phillipe, who while looking as flustered as the rest of their coworkers, were still decidedly more sedate as they reviewed designs together. 

Marc made a bemused sound next to him as they continued watching and Adrien shook his head in silent agreement. He couldn't really blame them for their excitement. The self named Queen of Fashion, Audrey Bourgeois, would be in house later that day. Everyone wanted a chance to impress her. Still, Adrien had known Audrey since he was a child and had never been particularly impressed with her. She was a cold woman, with little empathy and an overinflated sense of self worth. Yet, even those who had met her and found her wanting, still sought her approval.

"Let's get out of here before one of them tries to rope us into mannequin for them. We have a shoot in little while anyway." Adrien nodded and followed Marc out of the main floor towards the elevator bank. As luck would have it, Nathalie was waiting in the elevator as the doors opened. 

"Adrien," she said by way of greeting in her usual perfunctory manner. "Your father is expecting you at the gardens."

"But I'm not even supposed to be in hair and makeup for like another hour?"

She said nothing, merely continued staring at him till he sighed and boarded the lift with Marc. He hoped the set would at least be sufficiently warm, he didn't relish the idea of standing outside in 7 degree weather for an extra two hours just because his father was so insistent on punctuality. As he settled into the back of the elevator, he peered  back at the design floor, hoping to catch one last glimpse of his lady. She looked up and smiled at him as if sensing his gaze, just before the doors slid closed.

\---

Marinette, Phillipe, and a few other select designers were standing around one of the conference tables, as Audrey Bourgeois poured over heaps of design sketches. Marinette had never met the woman before, but she'd heard of her reputation, and even without Adrien's warning, she knew she would be a tough critic. She'd already watched as the woman had shredded several designs, even reducing one man to tears. Surprisingly, when she got to the designs Marinette and Philipe had worked on, she had mostly praise for them, along with a few minor critiques. 

Marinette could feel the envious glares she was getting from those still left standing in the room, but she did her best to ignore them. One woman in particular, Angelique, seemed particularly upset by Audrey's praise for Marinette's design after destroying her own. Apparently, she'd reached her boiling point, as she suddenly lashed out a moment later. 

"Are you fucking kidding me?  _Of course_ precious little Marinette's designs are getting all the praise." She glared at Audrey. "Is she sleeping with you too, or are you just that blind?"

Marinette flushed with embarrassment as Audrey's sharp gaze turned on Angelique. "I beg your pardon? Who the hell do you think you are speaking to me in such a manner. Do you  _know_ who I am? I will not tolerate such vulgar accusations, you ungrateful harpy."

"Ungrateful? Why should I be grateful that you tear down my hard work while heaping nothing but praise on Agreste Jr's little whore?!"

Marinette was absolutely mortified, wishing the floor would swallow her up, as every eye in the room turned to her appraisingly. This was exactly why she hadn't wanted to get involved with Adrien in the first place, though she knew now, it was true what he had said. Even if they weren't doing anything inappropriate, it wouldn't stop anyone of accusing her of doing so out of spite. 

"Angelique, darling," Philipe said beside her in a condescending voice, jumping to Marinette's defense. "Every one in this room knows that girl has more talent in her little finger than you've shown in your entire career. If you can't handle a bit of critique, then I'm afraid you're in the wrong industry."

"And what's she giving you then hm? I always assumed you swung the other way, but perhaps her charms are strong enough to tempt even you," she said, sneering at the pair of them. 

"That's enough!" Audrey snapped from the end of the table. Turning to Nathalie, she pointed at Angelique. "I will not tolerate her presence any longer. I don't know where Gabriel is but I **demand** you fire this woman at once. I cannot believe he would stand such insolence within his own company. Ri-diculous! Utterly ridiculous!"

Without ceremony, on Nathalie's command, Angelique was escorted from the room, and out of the building. 

Once her disgruntled shouting could no longer be heard, Audrey settled back in her seat, checking her hair and makeup in a compact mirror. Snapping it shut again, she turned a sympathetic look on Marinette. "Don't let her get to you darling. Philip is quite right. You're very talented. I'll let you in on a little secret though, Gabriel himself told me to look for your designs, recommended them personally. I can see he wasn't exaggerating about your skill. You're going to go far my dear. I guarantee it." She winked before going back to her perusal of the sketches before her.

Marinette flushed again, knowing that Audrey's statement still sounded like preferential treatment and hadn't at all helped deflect the accusation that Angelique had just thrown. She could still feel several people glaring at her, but not one of them was brave enough to speak up after watching their colleague be forcibly removed from the room.

* * *

On the other side of town, Gabriel stood in his layer, grinning as he felt the feelings of injustice he sensed, swelling to greater and greater heights. His plan had worked perfectly. The seed he had planted with Audrey, coupled with the obvious attraction his son had for a certain young designer that he hadn't been disguising nearly as well as he assumed as of late, had created the perfect victim. 

He felt the connection open the second the akuma found it's target and began speaking. "Style Queen, I'm Hawkmoth..."

* * *

A high pitched scream, followed by several more from the floor below caught everyone's attention. "Akuma!" Someone shouted, and suddenly the whole room was in an uproar. 

The other designers practically climbed over each other to get out of the room, while Audrey began demanding to have her helicopter readied as she was escorted out of the room by her assistant and her bodyguard, Nathalie following calmly on their heels. Marinette's pulse sped up as she tried to determine her course of action. She had no doubt in mind exactly who the akuma was and knew she would be after her. She needed to transform before the Akuma found her as Marinette. 

She whipped around when she felt a tug on her arm, to find Philippe tugging her towards the door Audrey and crew had disappeared through a moment before, while her colleagues still tried to scramble out the other side of the room. Opening the door, he gently pushed her through, nodding down the hall. "There should be an empty utility closet down there. Go do your thing Lady Luck." She gaped at him, but didn't have time to process the fact that he'd figured her out before he winked and shut the door in her face. 

"Marinette!" she heard Tikki speak beside her ear. "What are you waiting for? We gotta go!"

"Right!" she pulled out her phone, shooting off a text to Adrien to alert him as she headed for the closet Philipe had indicated, calling for her transformation.

 

**Buginette <3: Akuma @ Gabriel. **

 

Adrien's heart was in his throat as he read the text. Glancing around, he hissed at Plagg. "We gotta go, there's an akuma at the office."

"You're in the middle of a shoot, you can't just leave."

"I know," he held up a piece of Camembert, watching the kwami eye it eagerly. "Which is why we need a proper distraction."

Plagg grinned mischievously, gulping up the piece of cheese and zipping off. A moment later, he heard a commotion on set, as Plagg reappeared by his side. "Good to go!"

"What in the world did you do?"

"Eh, a little bit of an electrical issue on set. It'll be a bit before they're operational again."

Adrien shook his head, even as he smiled. "Plagg, claws out!"

Adrien arrived at the offices across town in record time, bursting through a window on the design floor. Ladybug was already engaging with a glittery akuma that appeared to be turning nearly everything she touched into glittery, gold mannequins and statues. 

"Purr-fect timing kitty," she grinned as she rolled to his side. 

"At your fur-vice my lady." She groaned. "Too much?"

They were interrupted when the akuma hurled a gold desk at them, knocking them back a few feet. She then turned and seemed to fly away from them, deeper into the design floor. "Marineeeeeette!" she sang as she went. "Come out, come out and play you little whore!"

Chat turned to his partner, finding her face burning red, but scowling. Clearly she'd have a story for him later. "Any idea where the akuma is?"

"I think it may be in the hair stick she's wearing."

"Got it!" He vaulted over the debris, drop kicking the akuma in the back. She growled as she got to her feet, swiping out at him as she spun around.

"Don't let her hand touch you!"

He dodged, avoided the blow, but when he swung out at her with his baton, he was astounded to see her body shift around it, like sifting glitter.

"Oh yeah," Ladybug said as she landed beside him again. "I forgot to mention that bit. She can shift her body composition to avoid a blow when she sees it coming."

"Tricky," he said, pulling her out of the way of another swipe. 

Ladybug's yo-yo shot out a few times, each shot moving right through Style Queen's body before returning to her as the akuma laughed. "I'll keep her distracted," she murmured to him. "You be a sneaky cat."

"As you wish," he grinned, vaulting over the akuma as Ladybug began taunting her. 

"Give it up Angelique. You'll never be as good a designer, even Gabriel Agreste thinks so. I mean really, look at all this," she gestured around her at the statues Style Queen had created, dodging a few more swipes as she continued harassing her. "Glitter? What is this? 2017? So tacky."

"What do you know about fashion Ladybug?" she sneered. "You wear red and black polka dots, like a little girl!"

"At least I don't look like a glitter bomb went off on me," she giggled. "Did Peeta take issue with your fur designs?"

"Shut up! You're just as bad as her the little slut."

That angered Chat, who swung hard with his baton, connecting with the back of the akuma's head and sending her sprawling to the ground face first. The blow also managed to dislodge her hair stick, which Ladybug snatched up and snapped in half, releasing the akuma. "Thank you Chaton."

"Any time my lady," he bowed with a flourish as she did her thing.

When the damage from the akuma had been cleared away, Adrien recognized the petite blonde woman laying at this feet. "Angelique?"

"Not now," Ladybug hissed at him, pushing him towards the exit. "I'll take care of her, you have a shoot to get back to."

"Fine, but I expect to hear about this later."

"I promise, now go before you get in trouble."

He grabbed her hand, placing a kiss on it before darting for the staircase. It was easy enough for him to make his excuses when he got back to set, where they were just finished fixing the issue Plagg had caused with his powers. The shoot went smoothly, as he nailed every pose, eager to leave so he could speak with Marinette about her day. He managed to catch her before she left the office for the day, pulling her into his own office so she could tell him what had happened. He was furious that anyone had made her feel so humiliated but knew there was little he could do about it. 

He and Marinette were meant to be having dinner with her parents that evening, but before he could leave, his father called him into his office. He sent her a text, telling her he would meet her there before joining him. 

"Yes father?"

"Close the door." As usual, his father didn't deign to so much as turn and acknowledge him when he entered the room. There were no polite greetings or "how was your days?" he simply made commands he expected to be followed.

All his life, Adrien had simply accepted it, doing as his father wished, assuming it would win him the approval he desired. Over the last several months though, since he had met Marinette, he was coming to realize that there was no pleasing his father. He would find fault in whatever he did, and he very clearly cared very little for what his son wanted, as was evident by how he had treated the entire ordeal with Lila. He assumed this little chat was to scold him again for his behavior at the launch party.

"It's come to my attention, there are now rumors circulating throughout the company about your affair with Mlle Dupain-Cheng."

"Oh." Yeah, he'd just heard of that himself, from none other than Mlle Dupain-Cheng herself. 

"I thought I made it clear that your  _association_ with her was to remain discreet?"

"We have been. I doubt those rumors are because of anything we've done. More likely it's because of the preferential treatment you've shown her in having her work on designs for the holiday collection and your comments to Audrey."

Gabriel turned to him then, lifting a surprised brow. Adrien had never spoken back to him before. No doubt, he had expected him to cower before him and ascent to whatever mandate he chose to give. "Perhaps," he said after a moment. 

"I asked her to move in with me," Adrien blurted out. He didn't know why he'd said it, but watching his father's face contort with fury before he had control of himself was worth it. 

"Don't worry, she won't be moving until after the New Year. By then it shouldn't interfere with your carefully crafted holiday campaign." His tone became more and more sarcastic the longer he spoke, feeling his confidence grow. Just seeing his father struggle to maintain control, was enough to let him know he had some power in their relationship, even if it wasn't as much as he would like.

"That is not-"

"Not what? _Wise?_ Not allowed? In case you haven't noticed  _father_ I'm an adult. I allow you to make demands in my professional life, but if you can't even trust me to make decisions for myself in other aspects of my life then perhaps there's something wrong with your parenting."

Gabriel flinched, showing an uncharacteristic amount of emotion, mostly conveyed through shock. Adrien continued before he lost his nerve.

"Wether you like it or not, she's my future... she's my heart. And that's something I refuse to let you control." With that, he turned and stormed out of the office to meet Marinette's parents for dinner.

* * *

 

An indeterminate amount of time passed as Gabriel stared at the door his son left through, attempting to process what had just happened. The more he thought about it, the more he began to decide he had made a mistake in letting him continue his relationship with that woman. Adrien had always been so easy to govern, even as a child.  He had abided by his wishes with very little resistance, but since taking up with  _her_ he had started pushing back, more and more. Acting out like he never had before, even as a teenager. 

Not that he was too worried... he knew her secret now. It was only a matter of time before she was taken down, and things would change. 

His musings were interrupted by a knock at the door. Nathalie entered at his bidding, and he pulled himself together, gesturing for her to sit as he poured himself a much needed brandy and took a seat behind his desk.

"What have you found?" While the akuma attack he had put into motion was taking place, he had instructed Nathalie to carefully monitor the security footage of the building. Now that he knew his adversary's identity, he had taken the opportunity to study her more closely. Know thy enemy.

"It appears her mentor, Philipe may know of her identity as well, though judging by her reaction, it doesn't appear that she knew he was aware. Just before transforming, she sent of a text message to someone. The angle wasn't good enough to see the message or who it was to, but judging by how quickly her partner arrived on the scene, I think it's safe to say he was the recipient."

Gabriel hummed in acknowledgment as he pondered this information. So there was a chance she knew her partner's identity as well. That or they had found a way to communicate outside of their suits. Either way, this was information he could potentially use. Still, he needed to know more before he decided how to move forward. Suddenly, an idea came to him, but it would take tact and a little time to pull it off.

"Very good Nathalie. I have a new task for you..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, while attempting to come up with an akuma for this chapter, I realized that since Adrien and Marinette didn't know each other before now, essentially, the entire events that led up to and occurred during the Style Queen episode had likely never happened in this AU. Thus this chapter was born, though I decided to give it a bit of a twist.
> 
>  
> 
> Also, unrelated: I'm toying with an idea for a stripper/exotic dancer AU after reading some fabulous stories by Freedom Shamrock, emmaleewhitaker, seasonofthegeek and a few others I can't think of right now. What do you all think?
> 
> Basic premise: Adrien, along with his long time friend Plagg, are co-owners of an exclusive, upscale gentlemen's club where even the patrons use false names and masks to hide their identities. It would be a non-magic, reverse crush AU, where Ladybug falls for her dance partner Chat Noir, while model Adrien falls for the new intern of his father's company, Marinette.


	12. ...And now you're mine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was perhaps a bit shorter than usual but I think plenty enough happens to cut it where I did.
> 
> I think I've probably posted about 5 updates in the last couple of days, two today alone. The stories are gaining momentum so fast now, I can't seem to help myself lol
> 
> Enjoy! x

"So," Sabine asked as Marinette helped her set the table. "You've been seeing this boy Adrien then?"

Marinette blushed. They hadn't exactly been 'seeing' each other in the traditional sense of the word, but they had been  _seeing_ each other. 'Boy' was also not a word she would've used to describe Adrien. He was certainly still quite young, especially to Tom and Sabine's mind, but she rather thought anyone who had seen him would think him all man.

"Uh, yeah. For a while now. We haven't really been public about it though. I think Alya and Nino are the only ones who really know. Well, and his friend Kagami."

"Does his father know?"

She paused in the act of arranging silverware to consider that. Did Gabriel know? Adrien had never said anything to her about telling him, and if the man knew, he had never mentioned it to her. "I don't know... but I imagine he will soon enough."

"Oh? Are things getting serious then?"

"You could say that..." she avoided the curious gazes of her parents for a moment longer, finishing up the table setting and fidgeting with the bouquet in the middle the table for a minute before looking up at them. "Heaskedmetomoveinwithhim."

Her mother let out a little huff of laughter. "I'm sorry dear, could you say that again?"

She took a deep breath and repeated herself, slower this time, not quite able to meet her eyes. "He asked me to move in with him."

There was a clatter in the kitchen as her father dropped the spoon he was holding. He stooped to pick it up, tossing it in the sink. Bracing himself on the counter, he leveled her with a sharp look. "He did what now?"

"Now, Tom," her mother rushed to soothe her husband. "They're both adults-"

"Yes, but she's only been at Gabriel since what? August? September? It's not even Christmas yet, they haven't been seeing each other that long. Don't you think that's moving a little fast?"

Marinette chuckled nervously, wondering if she should really be sharing this without Adrien's ok, but the need to soothe her father's nerves before he arrived was paramount. "Yeeeeeah... About that. Funny thing- turns out we've known each other a lot longer than that."

"What do you mean?" Sabine frowned. 

"Well... he's actually-"

"Hey, princess. Sorry I'm late." Adrien barged into the room with a fresh bouquet of flowers, and stepped to Marinette's side to give her a kiss on the cheek before turning to her parents who were both wearing strange expressions. 

"Uhhhh," he looked back and forth between them and their daughter, who was cringing slightly. "Sorry... am I interrupting something? I should have knocked, I apologize."

"It's ok dear," Sabine said, rushing to take the flowers from him and busying herself with putting them in a vase. "Thank you."

"Marinette was just telling us she's moving in with you?" Tom asked in a tone harsher than Adrien was used to hearing. 

His gaze swung to Marinette who winced. "Dad was just a little worried we might be moving too fast. I was trying to explain that you and I have actually known each other for much longer than we thought." She gaze him a significant look, glancing down at his ring.

His eyes widened as he caught her meaning, appreciating that she was giving him a chance to explain, or not if he chose. It only took a second for him to come to a decision. "Right. Uh, Plagg!" Plagg zipped happily out of Adrien's pocket, hovering in front of Tom's face with a grin. His expression was somewhat comical as his eyes nearly crossed trying to look at the tiny creature before him. 

"Hi, I'm Plagg! Nice to meet you. Got any cheese?"

"Plagg, manners!" Adrien scolded but the kwami ignored him. 

"I-in the fridge," Tom said, pointing behind him. He turned to watch Plagg phase through the door, staring at it for a long moment before turning back to the couple who were both looking a bit sheepish. "Was that what I think it was?"

"Yep."

"So, that means... you're-"

"Yep."

Abruptly, he burst out laughing, as did Marinette's mother.  _Why is it everyone seems to respond to that news with laughter?_ he couldn't help but wonder as Tom wiped his hands on a towel and came over to shake his hand in a tight grip. "Why didn't you say so! It's an honor to officially meet you son, come on in."

"Th-thank you," he said as Tom led him to the table and pulled out a chair for him. 

"Have a seat, dinner's almost ready. I'll have some appetizers up in just a second. Sabine darling would you get the kid's some wine?"

"Of course, dear." Sabine bustled over with wine glasses and a bottle of red, pouring them each a glass as Marinette sat beside Adrien with an obvious look of relief. "So, how long have you known?"

"We just figured it out actually, after the launch party. Totally by accident of course. Nearly had a heart attack when I found Plagg in the fridge in the middle of the night," Marinette giggled, remembering that night. 

"That's wonderful!" Sabine laughed. "I'm sure you were both thrilled to finally know."

"We were indeed," Marinette slipped her hand in Adrien's beaming at him. He smiled back, lifting her hand to his lips. When he turned away from her again, he found Sabine watching them with a whimsical expression.

"How romantic," she sighed. 

"Here you are," Tom said, dropping a steaming plate between them "Some bruschetta to get you started. I'm making spaghetti tonight. My mother's famous recipe, you're going to love it."

It was then that Adrien remembered that while Marinette was half Chinese, she was also half Italian. The spicy, sweet aroma of marina filled the kitchen and he was suddenly starving. "Smells delicious sir. I can't wait."

Tom grinned at the compliment, returning to the kitchen.

Dinner passed pleasantly as Tom and Sabine shared stories and photos of Marinette growing up that him in stitches, and her hiding in embarrassment.

"Aw! Look at you! You were adorable!" he teased, staring at a photo of a young girl with freckles and pigtails. 

"Ugh, stop! Those pigtails were hideous."

"I think they're cute," he insisted, gently flicking the hair hanging by her ear. "You had pigtails when I first met you."

She stuck her tongue out at him and he laughed. 

"Just you wait till I get to see pictures of you when you were little. Though since you've been modeling for so long, I doubt there any embarrassing photos even exist."

Adrien suddenly sobered, dropping his eyes to the table. "I doubt there are many photos of me as a child. Mom kept an album I think but father doesn't tend to keep many photos of any kind around."

Not a single person at the table missed the shift in his behavior, and Marinette's parents were quick to change the subject. "Who's up for some dessert?" Tom asked, jumping up from the table. "I made my grandmother's famous cheesecake?!"

"Did you say cheese?" Plagg piped up from across the room.

 

"Are you alright?" Marinette asked when they got back to her apartment, which was closer than Adrien's. "You seemed fine for most of the night but after mentioning your parents you got pretty quiet. Did something happen this afternoon with your father?"

Adrien took Marinette's coat from her, hanging hers and then his on the coat rack by the door, and using the excuse to hide his face from her for a moment. He debated telling her about his conversation with his father, but since he hadn't mentioned the previous one he'd had with him about her, he decided against it. "Oh, you know. Just the usual. He scolded me for something or other, nothing important."

Marinette frowned, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him softly. "I'm sorry chaton," she said, nuzzling his nose. "Would you like to take you mind of it?" she asked, nipping his bottom lip with her teeth. 

A Cheshire grin spread over his face, his eyes darkening instantly. "You would do that my lady?"

"It would be my purr-leasure."

* * *

Nearly a week passed before Adrien heard from his father again. Or more accurately was given a message through Nathalie. Apparently Gabriel had decided to make amends, even going so far as inviting him and Marinette to dinner at the mansion. Again Adrien wondered if he ought to share his past conversations with her. Ultimately he decided it was best not to. He knew his father would never be so tactless as to bring the subject up. More likely he would try to play it as though he'd never had an issue with it from the beginning. Even that he gave his blessing. His father always did like to be in control. Or at least, give the appearance of it.

He would leave it up to Mari to decide if she wanted to go, though, knowing her, she would most likely agree. 

"We don't have to go if you're uncomfortable. He's technically your boss after all."

"N-no. No. That's ok. We should go. It would be rude not to."

Adrien sighed internally, deciding to give her fair warning. "Just so you know, this will be nothing like the dinner we had with your parents. Father tends to be very formal, even with family dinners. We'll be expected to arrive on time and be dressed up, dinner will be served by staff and not by ourselves, and conversation will be sparse at best. Father isn't particularly... talkative."

"Adrien, I'm sure it'll be fine," she smiled squeezing his hand. 

He managed a smile. "Ok, if you're alright with it, I'll tell Nathalie we'll be there."  _Well, this will be tedious._

On the night in question, the driver his father had sent pulled up in front of the mansion at five minutes till seven. Right on time. Adrien stepped out of the car, straightening his suit jacket and Marinette original tie, before handing her out. She shook out the skirt of her blue dress, smoothing the pleats in the skirt and smiled up at him. He took a moment to admire her before holding out his arm. "Ready my lady?"

"Always, kitty."

Nathalie greeted them at the door with her usual formality. "Adrien, Mlle. M Agreste is awaiting you in the drawing room." She nodded once and then lead the way down the hall. 

"Drawing room?" Marinette whispered as they followed behind her. 

Adrien rolled his eyes. "She means the living room."

"Oh."

"Father," he greeted when they entered. Gabriel, who had been staring out the window, turned to them with a polite smile. "You remember Mlle Dupain-Cheng."

"Of course. Pleasure to see you again dear." He nodded to a man in uniform standing near the door, who approached them with a tray bearing glasses of wine and offered them to Adrien and Marinette. 

They nodded their thanks as they accepted and the man disappeared. Gabriel gestured to the sofa, taking a seat in the armchair across from it. A cheery fire was roaring in the hearth, and Adrien even noted the room had been decorated for Christmas. Something he never remembered from the years he'd lived here. At least not after his mother disappeared. 

"Welcome to our home," Gabriel said, as though Adrien still lived there. "I believe you were with us for the launch party as well?"

"Yes, sir. Thank you for having me. You have a lovely home."

Gabriel acknowledged the compliment with a nod and a smile. Adrien was almost suspicious of his father's behavior. He'd never seen him act so friendly. After their last conversation, Adrien had suspected this dinner was a means of staying on Adrien's good side, in order to keep him complacent and compliant, but he still hand't expected him to be so pleasant. 

"Thank you dear. My late wife did most of the design work, so I can't take the credit."

"She had very good taste, sir." Marinette continued politely. 

Adrien watched in silent disbelief as they made small talk until dinner was announced and was even more astounded when Gabriel offered his own arm to escort Marinette to the table. He followed behind them, watching as he helped her into the chair on his right, Adrien sitting across from her on his father's left. As soon as they were seated, the first course was served, a light salad, followed by a hearty onion soup. A traditional French meal followed, right down to the dessert and wine paired with each dish. Adrien expected nothing less from the renowned chef the Agreste's kept on staff. 

Conversation was every bit as stilted and uncomfortable as he expected, though he did little to help the situation by staying silent, leaving the burden of talking to Marinette, who of course was everything gracious. After dinner, they returned to the 'drawing room' for an after dinner port, which was when Gabriel finally seemed to get to the point of his inviting them. He gestured to Nathalie who presented Marinette with a small box, tied up with a sparkling red bow.

"Oh, wow," she said, gingerly accepting the gift. 

"Just a little token, to say welcome to the family. I know you and my son have gotten very close as of late, and he seems very happy. I wanted to extend my own thanks for that."

As he spoke, Adrien watched her tug the ribbon lose and open the box to reveal a pair of glittering sapphire earrings. He felt his eyes go wide at such extravagance, and noted the way Marinette paled upon seeing them, reaching up to brush her own earrings. 

"Oh my goodness," she breathed. "Th-these are beautiful, sir. Thank you, but it really wasn't necessary."

He waved away her concern. "Not at all dear. It's nothing. Besides, I think the color suits you very well. I'm sure as a designer yourself, you can agree," he said, nodding to the dress she wore that was nearly the same color. 

"Oh, y-yes of course it's just..." she fingered her earrings again self-consciously, and Adrien scrambled for an excuse to help her out of a very uncomfortable situation, but she beat him to it. "I don't mean any offense, but I'm rather attached to the earrings I'm wearing now. I know they perhaps aren't the most versatile of accessories, but they're a precious family heirloom, I never take them out. Indeed they're the only pair I own anymore."

Adrien watched his father's reaction carefully. His features tightened momentarily, but to Adrien's immense relief, he conceded. "I understand dear. I should perhaps have consulted my son first before making such a purchase. Feel free to keep them however, in case you ever feel a desire to wear them." His smile was perhaps a bit strained, but Adrien was grateful he didn't seem too upset, and allowed himself to relax. 

Not long after, they made their excuses, Mari again thanking his father for having her over, and they made their way home again. 

"That wasn't so bad," Marinette said as they settled into the back of the car. "You were worried for nothing chaton."

"I'm glad for that princess." He placed a finger under her chin, guiding her face to his for a kiss. "You did well, I'm proud of you. My father isn't usually quite so hospitable, but I suppose your charms must've won him over. Not that I'm surprised."

She smirked at him and tapped his nose. "Oh, ye of little faith."

He stuck his tongue out at her and she caught it in her teeth making him groan. "Ngh... naughty girl. At least wait till we get home."

She giggled as he pulled her into his lap, pushing the button to raise the privacy partition in the back of the limo.

* * *

Gabriel nursed a second glass of port as he watched his son help the young woman into the back of the limousine out front. Behind him, he heard the door open and Nathalie enter. 

"I think that went rather well sir. Did you get what you needed?"

"Indeed. I believe I can now guess how far she'll be willing to go to keep her miraculous. We'll have to take it by force."

"Are you ready to proceed then?"

"Yes. Call Adrien's bodyguard, we'll be needing his assistance I think. And I want to make sure that when my plans are put into action, my son is a safe distance away. If all goes according to plan, he'll never even remember any of this ever happened. Let alone that he ever met that woman."

"Very good sir. Will that be all."

"Yes, Nathalie. Thank you."

"Good night, sir."

Gabriel allowed himself a smile as he watched the limo pull out of the driveway, and down the street. 

 _A very good night indeed,_  he thought, saluting Ladybug as she disappeared from view.

 

 

 

 


	13. All I want for Christmas is you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a bit shorter than usual. A bit of Christmas fluff for you guys.
> 
> Merry Christmas!

Adrien laughed so hard he choked on his hot chocolate as he watched Marinette attempt to mime...  _what is that?_

"Wrapping presents!" Alya cried.

Marinette fist pumped. "Yes! I do believe that's now 15 to 8. You boys ready to surrender yet?"

"Never!" Adrien declared to which Nino groaned.

"Come on dude! We're never gonna catch up to them! Just let them win."

"Fine," Adrien grumbled with a pout as the girls cheered. 

The group had gotten together for drinks and games at Adrien's apartment after having Christmas Eve dinner with their families. They had been playing guys v. girls charades for the last half hour as the girls soundly crushed them. Adrien knew Marinette, Alya and Kagami were competitive, he just hadn't expected his teammates to roll over as easily as they had. Nino massaged his temples as his girlfriend gloated in his face, while Luka seemed content to allow Kagami her victory, accepting a kiss as a consolation prize. 

It had been a bit awkward when Luka had first shown up at his door, given the last encounter they had had several months ago, but it was soon clear that he had moved on from Mari and was there for Kagami, not to make trouble, and had been welcomed. Now that he'd had a little time to get to know Luka, Adrien found he quite liked the man and, most importantly, he seemed to make his friend very happy. 

Marinette sauntered over with a fresh mug of cider and perched on his knee. "What's the matter kitty? Being a sore loser?"

"No," he pouted, making her giggle. She scratched the light scruff on his chin he'd been growing out the last few days and kissed him.

"Have I mentioned how much I like the facial hair?" she said low enough for only him to hear. 

He grinned. "You might have, but I don't mind hearing it again. I just wish I could actually keep it. I'll have to shave it off again before we go to dinner tomorrow night."

They'd had Christmas Eve dinner with Marinette's parents and would be dining with his father the following night. Adrien wasn't looking forward to it, despite the fact that his father seemed to get on well with Mari. Normal dinners at the Agreste mansion were stiff and formal enough, a holiday dinner would be even worse, lacking the warmth and joviality that existed at Mari's house. 

"It'll be fine," Marinette assured him for about the hundredth time as she correctly interpreted his expression.

"We don't  _have_ to go."

"Yes we do. We already said we would, it would be rude to back out now. Besides, your father seems to be making an effort, I thought that was what you wanted?"

Adrien pursed his lips. It  _was_ what he wanted. What he had wanted for years. Only, now that it was happening, he had a feeling it wasn't as sincere as it seemed. "I suppose."

"Then try not to worry so much. We just have to make it through dinner and then we can leave. It'll be fine."

"Who's up for cards?" Alya asked cheerfully as Nino groaned.

"Actually," Kagami said, "I think we were just about to head out. It's getting kind of late and I have to be up early for breakfast with my mother."

"Yeah babe," Nino said, jumping on Kagami's excuse, "We're supposed to be joining your family in the morning, you know the twins are going to be rough to handle without a decent nights sleep."

"Ugh, you guys are so lame. Fine, I guess we'll call it a night too. Thanks for having us over Adrien."

"No problem, I'm glad you all could make it. It was fun."

Everyone made their way to the door, putting on their coats and saying their farewells, and a few minutes later, Adrien and Marinette were alone again. Marinette smiled at him as she cleared away the mugs from the living room, rinsing them out before stacking them in the sink to wash later. "That was nice of you to have everyone over."

"It's not a big deal, they've become my friends too, I enjoy hanging out with them." He made his way around the counter to her, sliding his arms around her waist.

Marinette turned in his arms and wrapped hers around his neck. "Well, I'm glad you're making more friends chaton." She threaded her fingers through his hair, kissing him until his chest started to rumble and he'd lifted her up to sit on the counter, level with him. 

With obvious reluctance, he pulled away from her, dropping a kiss on her nose and looking down at her. "Well, since neither of us has to be up early tomorrow, and we have plans for most of the rest of the day, I thought perhaps we could exchange gifts tonight?"

"Ok," Marinette grinned excitedly, hopping down from the counter and rushing over to the little tree she had set up in his living room a few nights ago. 

He followed her over, chuckling as she plucked up the brightly wrapped package underneath and thrust it at him. They took a seat on the rug in front of the fire as he carefully peeled away the wrapping paper, teasing her as she squirmed impatiently. 

"Oh just open it already!"

"Oh but this is the fun part bugaboo."

"Ugh, you were one of those kids who liked to save the wrapping paper instead of just tearing into it weren't you?"

"Well it's pretty, and you worked so hard on it."

"I worked a lot harder on your actual gift, I assure you. Open it!"

He laughed, finally obliging her. Ripping open the last of the paper, he lifted out a green, handmade sweater. On the front, there was a black cat wearing a Santa hat, and it read "Have yourself a purry little Christmas". Adrien beamed, turning it around and holding it against his chest so she could see it. "I love it!"

She giggled, crawling forward to accept the kiss he offered in thanks. "Yours is in the tree," he said, nodded above them. 

" _In_ the tree?"

"Mmhmm."

"You're going to make me hunt for it aren't you?"

He winked, sitting back to watch her search through the branches until she found the little box wrapped in red paper with a black bow. Sitting back down, she eyed him suspiciously as she unraveled the bow. "I hope you didn't spend too much."

"Don't worry, this is more for both of us really."

Her brows furrowed at that cryptic statement, ripping open the paper and pulling the top off the box. For a second, she just stared in confusion, plucking out the key and holding it up in the light. "I already have a key to your apartment."

"I know. This is a key to  _our_ apartment _."_

 _"_ Huh?"

"Well, I figured, even as big as this place is, it might get a little cramped with two of us living here, so I leased a bigger place, with two rooms so you can use one for your projects." He blushed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Plus, I thought you might like the extra closet space."

She didn't say anything for a moment and Adrien started to get worried, thinking maybe he'd overstepped, but then she grinned and practically tackled him to the floor, smothering him in kisses. He laughed, accepting her affection. 

"When we can we go see it?" she asked excitedly.

"Well... it's actually in this building, a few floors up. I thought we could check it out now?"

She gasped. "Yes, yes, yes! Let's go!" She jumped up from the floor, pulling him up with her.

He grinned as she pulled him down the hall to the elevator, where he pushed the button for the tenth floor. Once there, he lead her down to apartment 1018 and allowed her to use her new key to unlock it. "Wait," he said before she could walk in, scooping her up and carrying her in bridal style. "There. Welcome to your new home my lady."

"Silly kitty," she giggled as he put her back on her feet. 

Adrien just grinned. "What do you think? Have a look around." He shut the door behind them as she stepped into the apartment, noticing a faint glow coming from the room around the corner. 

Moving from the foyer to the living room, Marinette stopped in her tracks, staring at the scene before her. The living room was aglow with candles, and several blankets and pillows had been laid out in front of the fire place, along with a bottle of champagne on ice. She startled a little when Adrien came up behind her, resting his hands on her hips as he whispered in her ear. "Merry Christmas princess." 

She felt herself tear up, turning to grab his face, pulling his down to her. "I love you," she said against his lips.

"I love you too."

After a pleasurable moment, Marinette pulled away with a random thought. "How did you even pull this off when we had guests all night?"

He smirked. "Oh, I had a  _little_ help."

* * *

Christmas morning dawned bright and sunny, the early morning rays streaming in through the uncovered windows of their new apartment, falling on the pair tangled blissfully together under the covers. Adrien roused first, long used to waking up with the sun. Blinking his eyes open, he smiled down at the beautiful woman snuggled up to his chest. She hummed in her sleep when he ran his hand lightly over the sensitive skin on her side. 

"Good morning, my lady," he greeted her, pressing a kiss to her forehead. 

"Mmm, morning," she mumbled, snuggling closer to him. Suddenly, she sat up, wide awake. "It's Christmas!"

"It is," he laughed.

"Merry Christmas Minou!" she exclaimed, raining kisses down his face and neck. 

"Merry Christmas prince-ahh," he groaned when she nipped his ear, crawling up over him to straddle his waist. She continued her ministrations, though he could feel her smiling against his skin. "Now this is a good morning I could get used to," he sighed when her nails scraped down his sides. They spent several delicious minutes under the covers together before hunger, and a desire for coffee finally pulled them out of their makeshift bed. 

They dressed quickly and made their way back to Adrien's apartment, where their kwamis greeted them cheerily. Adrien started the coffee maker while Marinette retrieved the treats they'd purchased for their kwamis at the market the previous morning. Tikki squealed with delight at the assortment of custom made cookies and macarons, and Plagg nearly swallowed his special aged cheese whole.

Once she had her coffee, Marinette started on the fresh fruit platter they were brining to her parents house that morning for brunch while Adrien gathered up the gifts they were taking with them and headed upstairs to shower. Marinette joined him after a while, the water nearly running cold by the time they got out, and they were running late. Pulling on a Christmas sweater and jeans, Marinette threw everything she would need to get ready for dinner later that night in a bag, planning to change at her parents house before they headed over to the Agreste mansion and they were out the door.

Tom and Sabine greeted them both with big hugs, ushering them into the dining room where Sabine had set up an impressive spread of dishes. They chatted and ate, taking their time working through the selection of foods, and not finishing until well after noon. Marinette's parents admired the sweater she had made for Adrien, and both were happy to hear about their new apartment, asking to come see it once they were settled in after the New Year. 

When they finished eating, they made quick work on the dishes before moving to the living room for a three way video game tourney. Adrien was pleased to be able to keep up with Tom, but they were both trounced by Marinette the majority of the time, while Sabine sat by, sipping her tea and observing with great amusement. Gifts were exchanged and exclaimed over before the pair had to start getting ready for dinner with Adrien's father. 

Adrien, luckily, had shaved that morning before getting in the shower, so he had little to do beyond changing his clothes and waiting for Marinette to finish her hair and makeup. It was worth the wait though when she emerged from her old bedroom, looking incredible in a bright red dress. Sabine nearly swooned at the lovestruck look on Adrien's face as he watched Marinette descend the stairs. 

"You look beautiful," he said softly.

"Thank you. You clean up nicely too chaton," she smiled, straightening his tie.

"Shall we?" he asked, holding out his arm. "The car's here already. Punctual as ever."

She giggled, taking his arm as they said goodbye to her parents and headed down to their waiting ride.

"Your chariot, princess," Adrien bowed, handing her into the back seat of the car. He grinned and winked at the driver, whose face was it's usual mask of professional indifference, and they were off. 

He continued staring at Marinette, taking in the way her hair shined and her eyes sparkled. The closer they got to the mansion, however, the stronger the feeling of anxiety in Adrien's chest. Marinette must have noticed his discomfort as she turned to him with a frown.

"Are you alright? You seem more anxious than before. Are you still worried about dinner with your father?"

"Yeah- I don't know. It's silly, but I just, have a bad feeling about this. I'm not sure why. Call it cat's intuition?" he smiled wryly.

She clasped his hand in hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "It'll be fine, Adrien. Don't worry."

"I hope you're right," he muttered as they pulled into the drive and he helped her out. 

 As usual, they were greeted at the door by Nathalie who took their coats and ushered them inside. To Adrien's surprise, even more of the house appeared to be decorated for Christmas beyond what had been put out for the launch party a few weeks before. He couldn't remember the house being so festive in several years. 

They received another surprise when they entered the drawing room and found there were other guests besides themselves.

"Adrikins!" a grating, familiar voice cried from across the room as a young woman with long blonde hair and a glittering, gold and silver dress sashayed towards him. She pulled him into a hug, dropping a kiss on each cheek. "It's been ages!"

Just then she seemed to notice his companion, her nose wrinkling in disgust. "Dupain-Cheng? What are you doing here?"

"Chloe," Marinette greeted cooly. Adrien was about to ask how they knew each other before remembering Marinette telling him about the 'mean girl' who had bullied her and her friends all through school. 

"Mlle Dupain-Cheng is our guest," his father interrupted from across the room where he stood with the former mayor and his wife Audrey.

"Oh yes!" Audrey said suddenly, coming forward. "I remember you, you're one of Gabriel's designers, the one he spoke so highly of. How are you dear?"

Adrien raised his brow, looking between his father and Marinette. She had mentioned her meeting with Audrey the day Style Queen was akumatized, but hadn't mentioned anything about her father's apparent recommendation. 

"Yes, she certainly has promising talent," Gabriel agreed.

"Thank you Mme Bourgeois, M Agreste. I'm quite well. It's very nice to see you again. Merry Christmas."

"And you darling. Lovely dress you're wearing, is that one of your creations?"

"Yes madame."

"Gorgeous! Chloe look, isn't it fabulous?"

Chloe fumed beside her mother while Adrien smirked proudly, wrapping his arm around Marinette's waist, making Chloe even angrier. "Adrikins tell me you haven't fallen for the-  _charms_ of this- this - harlot!"

"Chloe," scolded her mother.

Adrien was about to step in when his father once again beat him to it. "Mlle Bourgeois, I would kindly ask you not to speak so to my guests.  Mlle Dupain-Cheng is not only my guest, but my son's girlfriend, I should hope you would be more respectful."

Chloe crossed her arms, turning her upturned nose away, but thankfully said nothing else.

"Don't mind her darling," Audrey said, leaning closer as if conveying a secret. "She's just jealous she doesn't have your talent."

Both Marinette and Adrien were vicariously embarrassed for Chloe, who's face turned bright red. It was hard enough to hear criticism from strangers, even harder when it came from your own parent, as Adrien knew very well. He often marveled that even with similar parenting, he had turned out quiet different from his erstwhile friend. 

Luckily, Nathalie announced dinner a moment later, and the group made their way to the dining room, This time, Adrien was allowed the honor of escorting his own girlfriend as his father offered to escort Chloe. Dinner was as delicious as usual, while the conversation was a bit more- lively than usual. Chloe and Marinette traded barbs across the table though Marinette's were far more subtle and she never fell to Chloe's baiting attempts to rile her temper. 

By the time they made their way back to the drawing room for mulled wine, half the group appeared the be nursing a migraine from Chloe's shrill voice. Adrien gladly jumped on the invitation to play for the group, begging Marinette to accompany him. They played carols for a little while, entertaining everyone except Chloe with their well paired voices, before the Bourgeois' called for their car to be brought around. 

After they left, Gabriel asked Marinette and Adrien to join him for one last toast before they left. They each accepted the glass of champagne handed to them, raising it towards each other. "To your health, happiness, and the many changes sure to come in the new year." 

"Cheers." They downed their glass, and said their goodbyes, making their way back down to the waiting limousine. 

Gabriel stood at the door, beside Nathalie, waving them off. 

"Were you successful?" he asked her.

"Yes Monsieur. Your plan is in motion."

"Good."

"What do we do now?"

"Now, we wait."

 

In the car, Marinette cuddled up to Adrien's side feeling suddenly sleepy. "I told you you had nothing to worry about," she tried unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn, making him chuckle.

"Yes, you did my lady. Rest, I'll wake you when we're home."

"Ok," she mumbled, allowing herself to drift off. It wasn't long before Adrien felt himself start to drift off as well. 

Neither of them noticed when the car stopped, nor when the door was opened, and they were separated from one another.

* * *

 

Marinette woke to a splitting headache and an aching body.  _Ugh_ , she thought.  _Too much eggnog._  

It was a long moment before she remembered that she hadn't had any the previous night. In fact, the very limited amount of wine she'd had at the Agreste mansion definitely should not have left her with this strong a hangover, even on the days she was feeling more like a lightweight than usual. Something wasn't right.

Slowly, more observations seeped into her mind. Whatever she was laying on didn't seem to be a bed, as it was hard and unyielding; she still seemed to be in the same dress she was wearing the night before; the room she was in was unusually warm for this time of year though the surface she lay on was freezing, and she was most definitely alone. 

Blinking her eyes open, she had braced for bright light only to find herself in a darkened chasm of a room. Once her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she realized she seemed to be underground somewhere, and was laying on some kind of metallic flooring. Carefully sitting up, she clutched her head when the room started to spin, groaning quietly. Dragging her hands down the side of her face, she immediately noticed something missing. Her earrings.

"Tikki!" she cried. "Tikki! Where are you?"

"Oh good, you're awake." declared a chilling voice behind her. "I was beginning to worry we'd given you a bit too much, but I suppose your recovery time is simply much slower without your miraculous."

Marinette gasped quietly, eyes going wide. She froze in place, afraid to turn around. "Hawkmoth," she breathed.

"In the flesh."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 😈  
> And so it begins


	14. Rally The Troops

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ya'lls reaction to the last chapter is life <3  
> Yes, ya'll, I'm from the south. You have no idea how many times I've had to actively stop myself from using that word when writing, like 'self, these people live in France, even when speaking English, they would never say that word'  
> I've been terrible about replying to comments lately, but know that I do read them all and I def appreciate them!  
>  
> 
> So much like a previous chapter, I'm reasoning that the events of the Antibug episode never happened in this AU, thus this akuma was born. (also read: I'm too drunk and tired to come up with a better name... sue me)
> 
> Also, this one is a little short, but it's setting up for the next chapter. Enjoy!

Marinette stared, wide eyed, at the blank wall before her, hearing the click of heels approaching behind her. Terror held her in place, but her natural curiosity, made her voice bold.

"What do you want?"

"I think you already know the answer to that my dear Ladybug. I've always been after your miraculous. Now that I have yours, I just need your partners. And you're going to give it to me."

"Like hell I will."

"Such bravery. And what a waste. I'm disappointed in you Mlle Dupain-Cheng. I expected much more from you."

"How do you know me?"

"After everything I've done for you, putting in a good word for you with Audrey Bourgeois, allowing my son's relationship with you to continue, letting you contribute to the holiday collection, giving you every opportunity one could hope for in this industry, this is how you repay me?"

Marinette's heart stopped as realization settled over her. "M Agreste?" she asked.

"Very good. I see you're every bit as intelligent as I've heard," he said mockingly.

Her stomach roiled as she considered the implications of that revelation. Chat- Adrien's arch nemesis was none other than his own father. And now his girlfriend and partner had lost her only means of helping him defeat him.

Her hands planted on the ground in front of her to keep her upright as she fought for control of her senses. 

"This doesn't have to be difficult my dear. Just tell me who your partner is, and this will all be over soon."

Marinette shrugged as casually as possible. "Je ne sais pas."

Hawkmoth growled in frustration and she laughed derisively. "Surely you know, you won't get anything from me. Even if I _did_ know who he was, I certainly wouldn't tell  _you._ "

"Even for Adrien's sake."

Marinette paused, turning to face her captor. "What?"

"Did you never wonder why I've done all of this? Why I would go to so much trouble?"

"Your motive's stopped being important a long time ago. You've been terrorizing this city for too long. That's all that matters."

Hawkmoth tsked. "It's very naive of you to see things so black and white. You've known Adrien for some time now. Think about it. I do what I do for his sake. Why do you think that is?"

Marinette didn't have to think about it long. "Your wife. It doesn't take a genius to put that together. But you're delusional if you believe you do this for Adrien. He has learned to mourn his mother as you have not. You do what you do solely for your own selfish reasons. Not for his benefit."

Hawkmoth took a step closer, towering over her. Somehow, despite feeling so small and powerless, it made her braver.

"Have you even truly considered the consequences of your actions? You're after our miraculous. We know now what that means. You hope to use the power of creation and destruction combined to bring your wife back. But, do you know that in order to do so, someone else must _lose_ their life? Is that a price you're willing to pay? Is it one your wife is willing to pay?"

"It matters not. I've worked it all out. You will lead me to your partner so I may have his miraculous as well, and then I will make my wish, and you, the one who has stood in the way of my plans, will be the one to pay the price."

"That isn't-"

"Silence!" He grabbed her roughly by the face, pulling her up to her feet so he could look her in the eyes though she was still several inches shorter. "You _will_ do as I command. If you won't give your partner up willingly, then I will make you."

From the corner of her eye, she saw a white butterfly land in his hand, watching as his fist closed around it. When he released it again the butterfly was black and blue. The tiny creature fluttered out of it's master's hand, flapping towards her. "No!" she cried, struggling to pull herself from his grasp, but it was no use. The butterfly landed on the bracelet around her wrist, absorbing into the band, turning the whole thing a dark purple.

She gasped, squeezing her eyes shut as she felt the power attempting to force it's will on her mind. Without Tikki there to encourage and protect her, she was far more vulnerable that usual. Eventually, she ceased struggling as the akuma's power took over. 

Hawkoth grinned. "Hello Antibug."

* * *

 Adrien groaned into his pillow, hiding away from the sunlight streaming in through the window.  _Overdid it a little last night._ He reached across the sheets for Marinette, only to come up empty. He remembered then, she was going to the bakery in the morning to help her parents. He wondered how late it was that he had managed to sleep through her leaving. 

"Kid! Wake up!" Plagg suddenly smacked into the side of Adrien's face, his little paws swatting at his ear. "Wake up!"

"Ugh, what?" he asked, turning his face to the side and opening one eye. At the look on Plagg's face, he was suddenly wide awake and giving him his full attention. Plagg rarely ever got serious and when he did, Adrien had learned to pay attention. "Plagg? What's wrong?"

"I don't know, but something isn't right. I woke up and couldn't sense Tikki. Whenever the ladybug miraculous is active, I can feel it, but it's just not there anymore. Something's very wrong."

"Marinette!" Adrien's shot out of bed, scrambling for his phone. There was nothing from Marinette but there were a few texts from Sabine, and Nino. Before he could respond, his phone rang, the number for the bakery appearing on his caller ID. "Hello?" he answered.

"Adrien dear, it's Sabine. Is Marinette there with you? We were expecting her over an hour ago, but she hasn't shown up. We thought perhaps she'd slept in on accident."

"She's not there?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

Adrien froze, unsure how to answer her. He knew she wasn't with him, and given Plagg's panic, and the fact he couldn't remember anything after leaving his father's house the night before, he had a feeling he wouldn't find her at her apartment either. Tikki wasn't active anymore, and as much as he didn't want to think about it, he had to consider what that meant. Marinette didn't have her miraculous anymore, which meant someone had figured out who she was.

As calmly as he could manage, he replied, speaking slowly. "Sabine, everything is going to be fine. Try to stay calm, I promise, whatever is going on, I won't let anything happen to her." He could have said that she had forgotten to set her alarm or used some other excuse that wouldn't send her parents into a panic, but he couldn't lie to them. Not about this. 

A long pause met his words before Sabine replied, her voice shaking but fierce. "You save her. Whatever you have to do, you being her home safe."

"I swear I will. I have to go, I'll try to keep you updated, try not to worry too much."

He hung up the phone and raced to his closet, pulling on clothes. He wasn't sure where to begin, but he had to start somewhere, and he figured his best bet was to speak with Master Fu. Plagg dove into his pocket as he yanked open the front door, only to find his way blocked but a hulking mass of a man. "What the-"

The man, Adrien's bodyguard, spun around. "Morning," he grunted.

"What are you doing here? Never mind, I have to go." He tried to push by him, but the Gorilla wouldn't move.

"Sorry, you can't leave."

"Excuse me?" he asked, completely flabbergasted. He didn't have time for this. 

"Your father's orders, you're not to leave."

"But, my girlfriend-" Adrien cut off, as his words registered. "Wait, did you say, my father's orders?" He grunted in response.  _What the hell?_  

Adrien stared at the man before huffing, and slamming the door in his face.

As soon as the door was closed, Plagg appeared. "What was that about?"

"I have no idea, but something's not adding up here. Someone, presumably Hawkmoth, must've figured out Ladybug's identity and taken her miraculous. But we were with her last night, so how did they even get to her? Why I can't I remember-" his mind flashed to that last glass of champagne his father had insisted they both take. "Motherf- he's working with him! How does he even- oh my god." Adrien dragged a hand over his face, feeling sick to his stomach. He had brought this on her, it was his fault. "I had a bad feeling about that dinner last night. I should've followed my instincts. We never should have gone-"

"Kid!" Plagg snapped, halting his rambling. "It doesn't matter now, we have to do something. If Ladybug has been captured, we're in trouble. If Hawkmoth attacks again, with another akuma, you're going to need help."

"Right! You're right, we need to see Master Fu."

"What are you waiting for then? Let's go."

Adrien grabbed a wheel of Camembert from the fridge, throwing Plagg a piece for a quick fuel up before transforming, and leaping from one of the windows. He raced over the rooftops of the city, headed towards Master Fu's place when he was suddenly stopped in his tracks by a dark figure on the next roof over. She was wearing an all black suit, with dark red spots, a dark mask covering her face. As he met her bright blue eyes from across the street, he watched her pull the black yo yo from her hip, dropping it to the ground as she unfurled it before it began swinging in rapid circles. He could feel Plagg's panic pulse through his miraculous when a dark purple butterfly symbol appeared over her face, and a wicked grin spread as her mouthed formed the words "yes Hawkmoth."

"Oh no," he breathed, unlatching his baton from behind his back and extending it into a staff. She'd been akumatized. He was going to have to fight his lady, and even if he did manage to free the akuma, there was no one to purify it. He still needed to get to Master Fu, but he'd have to get around an akumatized Ladybug first. 

"Here kitty, kitty," she called. "Wanna play a game?"

He grit his teeth to ward of the rising panic as he considered his options. He knew she was fast enough to keep up with him so he couldn't outrun her, and he had no idea what powers the akuma had given her. His best bet, was to distract her and slip away somehow. She prowled forward, ready to launch from her building to his. He took a step back, dropping into a defensive stance, and bracing for a fight.

Her yo-yo shot out as she jumped, and he dove out of the way, rolling back to his feet. She landed with little effort, spinning and sliding her yo-yo around like a whip. He kept dodging to avoid it, looking for an opportunity to slip closer and take a shot at her. He didn't want to hurt her, but he badly needed to put some distance between them. "My lady please," he begged as he fended off another attack, finally finding an opportunity to slip behind her, wrapping his arms tightly around her middle, and pinning her arms to her sides. "Why are you doing this? How could you let him control you?"

She stomped on his foot, throwing her hips back and shucking him off of her. As soon as her arms were free, she spun around, knocking him to the ground. He managed to get his baton up as she lunged at him, bracing it against her shoulders to hold her off. As they struggled, a moment of clarity seemed to wash over her features, and she spoke quietly.

"Help me," she begged. "He has my miraculous, you have to get it back. I'm trying to hold him off, but he's too powerful without my magic."

"Where is he? Who is he?" he asked, speaking quickly. He sensed she wouldn't be able to communicate with him for long. Indeed, her face contorted in pain as she appeared to struggle for control.

"A-a-ngh- mansion. Tikki- earrings- in the safe-ah!" she lost the battle for her will then, her expression returned to its previously deranged state. He didn't hesitate, kicking her off of him, and throwing a series of attacks that pushed her over the edge of the building. She screamed, shooting out her yo-yo to catch herself and Chat used her distraction to run, moving from rooftops to ground level, ducking between allies and hiding. He heard her run past him over his head, calling out for him, and destransformed once she was gone, running the rest of the way on foot. 

He felt terrible about throwing her off the building, but after that moment on the roof, he knew she was trying to fight back on her own, and would understand when it was all said and done. Assuming he could save her. 

He sprinted up the stairs of the building to Master Fu's studio, bursting through the door without knocking. Luckily, he was alone, calmly sipping tea with Wayz. When he saw Adrien however, he was on his feet in an instant. "What has happened?"

"Hawkmoth," he panted. "He- he, got Ladybug, took her miraculous."

"She's been akumatized!" Plagg cried, darting forward with a pleading expression, even as he shoved a piece of cheese into his mouth. "We need help," he mumbled around his food.

Master Fu and Way looked shocked for a moment, before springing into action. He opened the gramophone hiding the miracle box and set it before Adrien, opening it up.

"Adrien, pick an ally you can trust to fight alongside you. Choose wisely."

He watched as the various compartments containing other miraculous sprang open. He'd known it existed, but had never seen it himself, as he and Ladybug had thankfully never needed to call on others for help before. Now, he stared in awe at the jewels before him. Each one corresponded to a different kwami and a different power, but he had no idea what those powers were, or which would be most useful right now.

He looked helplessly at Master Fu and Plagg. Plagg looked thoughtful for a moment, "we might need a few."

"Take what you need."

"Hmm... that one, that one, that one... and that one." He pointed at three sitting in the box before pointing at the bracelet around Fu's wrist. 

"Four of them?" Adrien asked, staring at the jewels and attempting to determine where Plagg's mind was going. There weren't that many people he trusted.

"Mmhmm," he nodded as Master Fu removed his bracelet and held it out. 

"Do you have someone in mind?"

Adrien met Plagg's eye and they seemed to share a thought. But... He could only think of three people. Then it hit him. 

He scowled at Plagg, hating this idea, but he trusted his kwami. "Yes, I do."

* * *

Chat Noir landed on the little balcony, and tapped on the window, startling the couple inside. The curtains were suddenly pulled open and the window thrust up. "Chat Noir?!" Alya exclaimed, her eyes almost bugging out of her head. Normally he would've smiled at her expression but there was too much at stake.

"Can I come in?"

"Of course." She stepped aside and he leapt down into her apartment, waving at Nino who gaped from the kitchen counter, coffee mug suspended in front of his face. "Sorry to disturb your morning but I... have a situation. I need your help. Are you in?"

"Are you kidding? Of course we're in! What's up?" Alya bounced eagerly on her toes.

" Ladybug has been taken by Hawkmoth. He has her miraculous and has akumatized her."

They both gaped, before growing serious. "What do you need us to do?" Nino asked.

Chat reached into the small bag he'd tied around his waist and produced two boxes. Holding them out in front of him, he presented one to Alya and the other to Nino. "Alya, Nino, I present you the miraculous' of the fox and the turtle which grant the powers of illusion and protection."

"No. Way." Alya said, staring at the box in front of her in awe. Nino nearly dropped his mug, setting it aside as he stepped forward.

"Wait, so we get to be heroes now too?"

 

 

Chat dashed across rooftops once again after briefing his new teammates and leaving them with their kwamis to explain their powers. He would meet up with them later. There was another stage of the plan he needed to put in action first. Once again, he was lucky to find both of his targets together as he landed on yet another balcony.

Kagami nearly spit out her tea when she saw Chat Noir crouching in front of her sliding glass door. Luka was behind her, washing the dishes from breakfast, and she rushed to the door as calmly as she could manage. Sliding it open, she hissed at her friend. "Adrien! What the hell are you doing-" she stopped when she saw his somber expression, rather than the grin she was used to. "What happened?"

"Can I come in?"

"Luka's here."

"That's actually perfect, I need to speak to both of you."

She frowned, but opened the door wider for him to enter. 

Luka, turned at the sound of the door opening again, his brows rising. "Chat Noir? A little early for you to be out isn't it?"

"I need your help. Both of you." This was the part of the plan he didn't like. He didn't know Luka well enough yet, but after thinking it through more thoroughly, Plagg's idea made sense, and he'd need the extra help to pull it off. 

"How can we help?" he asked, drying his hands and coming to stand beside Kagami. 

"Ladybug has been compromised."

Kagami sucked in a breath. 

"Hawkmoth has akumatized her and taken her miraculous. I'm putting a team together to help save her, and take him down once and for all."

"So you know who he is then?"

"Yes..." Chat pursed his lips, his gaze flicking briefly to Kagami. "It's Gabriel Agreste."

Luka looked surprised, and a second later, both men were shocked when Kagami cursed loudly. "Son of a bitch! I've never liked that man. I'm gunna kill him! Uh- no offense," she winced, looking apologetically at Chat.

"None taken," he replied darkly. "As much as I appreciate your enthusiasm, you won't be taking on Hawkmoth directly. At least not yet. I have something else I need to you to do first."

"Not yet? How would we take him on at all?" Luka asked.

Kagami's face lit up. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

Chat's lips twitched as he again reached into the bag on his hip and extracted the remaining two boxes. "Luka, Kagami. I present you the miraculous of the snake and the bee, which grant the power of hypnotism and subjection."

Kagami snatched hers up and flicked open the lid, grinning when it emitted a bright, golden glow, and revealed a tiny bee like creature. "Hello my queen," it greeted her.

"Hell yes!"


	15. Rally the Troops Pt 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omg you guys! While writing my newest fic Miraculeux I realized that I completely missed an opportunity by not having Bridgette and Felix take the miraculous instead of Kagami and Luka (or Alya/Luka whoever) 🤦🏻  
> Oh well. I suppose I’ll just file that away as an idea for any potential future fics ha ha

Chat watched as Kagami spun in circles in front of a long mirror, admiring her black and yellow suit. "This is so freaking cool!"

"I need you to focus Bee," he chided gently though inwardly he was grinning at her enthusiasm. "I have two others out right now waiting to help me take on Ladybug again, but you two currently have the most important mission."

"Right, sorry. What are we doing?"

"You're retrieving the miraculous from where it's been hidden in the Agreste mansion. Your particular powers are perfect for a stealth mission which is why I'm sending you."

"Ok," Luka, or Viper, said. "So we go to the mansion, then what? Do we even know where her miraculous is?"

"Yes, she was able to tell me that much. In Gabriel's office, there's a large portrait hanging behind his desk of his wife-" Chat paused for a moment, swallowing hard. Thus far, he'd been able to hold back the tide of emotions that had been building since he realized what was going on. The reminder of his mother, nearly set him off. While he'd been mourning her, his father had been plotting to terrorize the city. It was enough to make his blood boil, but his anger wouldn't serve him well now. There would be time to confront his father later, once his lady was safe and they had the butterfly miraculous in hand.

"Behind the portrait is a safe. That's where he's keeping it." Adrien had stumbled on the safe by accident when he was a teenager. He'd nearly forgotten about it until Ladybug mentioned it.

"Alright, but how do we get in?"

"That's the tricky part. Your kwamis should be able to phase through and open the lock for you, but while you're detransformed you'll be vulnerable so you'll have to act fast. Open the safe, retrieve the earrings, then transform again and get out of there. Your weapons-" he pointed to the lyre and spinning top hanging at their hips, "-are also your communication devices. There should be a GPS tracker on them that will allow you to find us again when you're finished. Once we have Ladybug's earrings back, we can dispel her akuma for her to purify."

"Then comes the fun part," Kagami smiled darkly.

"Indeed. Think you can handle this?"

"Yep!"

"Ok, I'll leave you to it then. Remember, it's imperative that you remain hidden as long as possible. Right now we have the element of surprise, Hawkmoth will think the only allies I've called out are the other two that will be facing Ladybug with me. He doesn't know we know who he is."

The pair nodded as he turned back for the balcony. "Oh, and you may want to bring some snacks for your kwamis, in case you need to refuel, which you will if you use your special powers."

"What do they eat?"

"No idea, you'll have to ask them. Good luck. See you soon!" Saluting them both, he vaulted from the roof, heading towards the meet up spot he'd already agreed on with Carapace and Rena Rouge.

* * *

Queen Bee and Viper quietly watched the Agreste mansion discreetly from across the street, using the camera on Bee's top to get a closer look through the windows of Gabriel's office. 

"You sure that's the right room?" Viper asked, watching over her shoulder. 

"Adrien and I have been best friends since we were 15. I've been to the mansion more than a few times. I'm positive that's the room."

"Ok." She saw his jaw grind slightly from the corner of her eye and sighed internally. 

She knew after his experience with Adrien and Mari, that Luka was a still a little wary of her best friend. Not that she could entirely blame him. Adrien was good looking and charismatic. Many a young woman in Paris, and beyond was attracted to him. She'd be lying if she said she had never been attracted to him in that way before. They had even tried dating once when they were teenagers, but it hadn't taken more than one awkward date for them both to determine they were meant to be nothing more than friends. 

"So what's the plan? We go through the window?"

"No. Unless he happened to leave one open, which I doubt, it's unlikely we'll be able to get in through there. The whole house has been reinforced with top of the line security. We go through the front door," she said, snapping her top closed.

"What?!"

"Just follow my lead," she said, swinging across the street and landing just inside the gate, surrounded by bushes. Once Viper landed beside her she detransformed and crept carefully along the side of the building to the massive front door.

Peering through the windows into the foyer, she found the coast clear and called on Pollen to phase through the front door, letting them in. As soon as they were through, and the door closed behind them, they called their transformations again. She pointed silently across the hall to the door leading to Gabriel's office. As they approached, Nathalie suddenly appeared, startled by their appearance. Before she could do more than call for one of the security guards on staff, Viper had pulled the lyre from his hip, playing a light, hypnotizing tune. Immediately, Nathalie's attention was on him, wearing a slightly dazed expression as though in a trance. The security guard she had called appeared a moment later, but Bee was ready for him, calling her venom and immobilizing him as soon as he entered the room.

"Well," Bee commented, watching Nathalie with a pleased smile. "This may be easier than expected. I'll bet anything she can get into that safe for us. No need to transform. Do your thing babe."

Viper smirked, taking a step closer to his prey and looking her in the eye. "You will help us retrieve the miraculous Gabriel has hidden in his safe."

"I will help you retrieve the miraculous Gabriel has hidden in his safe," she repeated in a robotic voice, turning to lead them into the office.

She walked straight for the portrait Chat had mentioned, swinging it open and punching a code into the safe hidden behind it. She reached in and retrieved two items, turning back to offer them to Viper. In one hand she held a familiar pair of red earrings, and in the other she held a brightly colored brooch in the shape of a peacock.

"What's that?" Bee asked, pointing to the brooch.

"No idea, but we did tell her to retrieve the miraculous. Perhaps it's another one?"

"But there hasn't been any peacock themed supers on the loose, villain or otherwise."

Viper shrugged. "The command was pretty clear. If she's giving it to us, it must be important. I saw we take it to Chat Noir, see if it means anything to him. The last thing Hawkmoth needs is yet another miraculous he can wield."

"Good point." Be scooped up both items, tucking them into the zippered pockets at her hips and the duo quickly exited the mansion to rejoin Chat after locating his paw print shaped marker on the GPS tracker.

* * *

 

Across town, things weren't going quite as smoothly for Chat Noir and his new partners. As it turned out, akumatized Ladybug had similar abilities to her superhero counterpart, but was a lot stronger, faster, and more vicious. The trio was able to work together quite seamlessly however, Chat and Rena using their baton and flute to attack while Carapace backed them up, using his shield to defend them from Ladybug's own attacks.

It had taken them some time to find her, wandering aimlessly across the city's rooftops until Ladybug's yo-yo caught around Chat's ankle, slamming into concrete rooftop of an industrial building. Several minutes had passed since then, and they had managed to progress another few blocks towards the Seine. Chat's baton beeped with an incoming message and he prayed it was Bee and Viper letting him know they had been successful and were on their way. He wasn't sure how much longer he could handle fighting his lady like this. 

He ducked as Ladybug snarled and loosed her yo-yo at his head. Carapace's shield blocked her shot at the last second and Rena rushed in for another attack. He took the opportunity to scan the skyline in the general direction of his father's mansion, spotting two dark figures approaching from a distance. They would reach them in another couple of minutes and he breathed a sigh of relief at the sight, turning back to his teammates. 

"Anyone managed to figure out where the akuma is yet?"

"Yeah," Rena gritted as she dove away from an attack. "Pretty sure it's the bracelet. It's the only thing I can see that's out of place, since we know those earrings aren't real."

Chat's eyes zeroed in on the delicate chain clasped around Ladybug's wrist and immediately recognized it as the bracelet he had given Marinette on Christmas morning. While he'd claimed the new apartment to be her Christmas gift, he'd still wanted to give her something small, and had found the perfect white gold chain with a little paw print charm on it. She'd gasped when she opened it, insisting he shouldn't have, but eager for him to help her put it on in any case. How he hadn't spotted it sooner he wasn't sure. Then again, there had been plenty to distract him so far this morning. He definitely wasn't at the top of his game.

"Well spotted Rena." He glanced behind him again, spotting Bee and Viper much closer. "Get ready to grab it."

Using his baton, Chat vaulted over everyone's heads landing on Ladybug's other side, distracting her. Ignoring her taunting, he cranked up the heat, fighting her with everything he had. When Bee and Viper were close to landing on their rooftop, he purposely caught Ladybug's yo-yo on his staff, yanking her closer before kicking out hard, his foot landing on her stomach and he shoved her back into Rena and Carapace's waiting arms. 

"Now!"

Rena yanked the bracelet from her wrist as she screamed.

"Toss it here," he ordered, calling forth his cataclysm and reducing the bracelet to dust. 

"No!" Ladybug cried, devastated as she watched her precious bracelet disintegrate before her eyes. She fell to her knees as a little purple butterfly escaped from the ashes. She hadn't noticed Chat's new companions land on the roof until he called to one of them, and caught something they tossed to him. 

Crouching down in front of her, he held out his hand, palm up. There resting on his glove were a pair of red earrings. She looked up into his bright green eyes that were pleading with her. "Come back to me my lady. We need you."

" _Chat,_ " she breathed, her eyes tearing up as she started to come back to herself now that Hawkmoth's control was gone. He smiled back at her, pressing the earrings into her hands. Reaching up on either side of her face, he gently removed the false earrings she was wearing and tossed them aside. 

Taking a deep breath, she pulled herself together and replaced the fakes with the real thing. As soon as she clasped the second one in place, a little red creature appeared in front of her. "Tikki!"

The kwami nuzzled into her cheek as she held her close. "I'm so glad you're alright!"

"You too Ladybug. Now let's go! You still have an akuma to catch."

"Right! Spots on!" Bright pink light enshrouded her as the black and red suit she wore was replaced but a red and black one. Without waiting another moment, she opened her yo-yo and unfurled it, catching the rapidly escaping akuma and releasing it, pure and white.

"Bye, bye little butterfly," she said triumphantly. 

She turned to her partner, and for a moment, they both simply stared at each other. Her heart broke for him, knowing he now knew the truth and had had to put his feelings aside to fight her.  _How he must be hurting, my precious kitty._ Despite everything he was going through, he had still pulled through. He had come for her, like she knew he would. He had saved her. 

Her heart was so full of conflicting emotions she thought she would burst. Relief battled with anger; love with hate. 

His lips ticked up in the corner, his eyes filled with as much emotions as hers undoubtedly were. "Welcome back my lady."

In lieu of a response, she launched herself at him as a sob broke through her. He caught her against his chest, his arms wrapped securely around her waist. She grabbed either side of his face, kissing him fiercely, completely forgetting they had an audience. "Thank you chaton."

"Always, princess."

She kissed him again, tangling her fingers in his wild hair, holding him close, her legs wrapping around his waist as she clung to him. After a moment, someone cleared their throat pointedly and they broke apart, red-faced and breathless. 

"Uh- sorry," Chat apologized, setting her back on her feet. 

"This reunion is heartwarming and all but, I believe we still have another fight coming, no?" Rena asked with an amused smirk.

"Yes, of course. Ladybug, allow me to introduce our new allies. This is Carapace, Rena Rouge, Queen Bee and Viper."

Ladybug nodded to each in turn, already forming a hunch as to who each one was, knowing her partner didn't have many people in his life that he was close enough to or trusted enough to offer miraculous to. She was a little surprised at the last one, if it was who she thought it was, though she had a feeling there weren't many people they both knew with the same shaggy blue hair. 

"Thank you all for helping rescue me. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it."

"Happy to help Ladybug," Rena said, planting her hands on her hips with a proud grin. 

"Do we have a strategy for taking on Hawkmoth yet?" Bee asked. "It's not like we can wait to fight him another day now right? He knows who you are now."

"Yes, but we know who he is too, and we now have a bit of an advantage over him," she gestured to the group surrounding her. "We have a team, and he only knows one of our identities. He could probably make guesses at who the rest of you might be, but it still wouldn't be very practical to try and come after me as a civilian again. He knows I'll be on my guard. Plus, he was banking on using me to get to Chat Noir, he definitely didn't expect us to turn the tables on him. I wager we have a little time to come up with a plan."

Viper and Bee's miraculous beeped in warning. They had both used their powers some minutes ago, they would have to change back very soon. 

"Right," Chat said. "I think it's probably safe for all of us to know each others identities, so let's go back to my place and we can relax, refuel and brainstorm."

"Ok...." Rena agreed, a familiar curious look on her face. "So where does Chat Noir live?"

He smirked. "Follow me."

* * *

Back at the Agreste mansion, Hawkmoth raged in his layer as the connection to Mlle Dupain-Cheng severed when Chat Noir destroyed the bracelet holding her akuma. He could feel her negative emotions quickly dissipating but no longer had anyway of knowing what was happening on that rooftop. Not that it mattered, she couldn't purify the akuma, he still had her miraculous... Didn't he?

Quickly dropping his transformation, Gabriel returned to his office only to be greeted by a horror stricken Nathalie, staring at the open wall safe that was now half empty. She spun around when she heard him enter, looking pale as a ghost and more scared than he had ever seen her.

Gabriel stared into the safe for a long moment before turning and swiping the contents of his desktop onto the floor with a roar.

_NOOOOOO!_

He'd been so close! He'd planned so carefully. He was so confident he would finally win this time. And he'd foolishly revealed himself to his enemy. Mlle Dupain-Cheng - Ladybug, now knew who he was and there was no telling what she would do with that information.

_How had she managed to get the earrings back?_ He'd seen her fighting her partner and his new allies. They must have had more help, more miraculous users he'd been unable to see after his connection was severed. That had to mean his theories about the guardian must be correct. Whoever the guardian was, they were close by, and had allowed Chat Noir to recruit more help. Worse, in addition to Ladybug's earrings, they had also recovered the peacock miraculous. He no longer had backup.

He also had no idea who else he was up against. Returning his attention back to Nathalie, he realized he might have some insight into that after all.  

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so, I apologize guys. I feel like this chapter was a bit sloppy. It wasn't quite what I wanted it to be but I'd been lacking proper inspiration for a while and I didn't want you to have to wait another month through the coming hiatus to get another chapter. I'm sorry!
> 
> As mentioned on my other fics, this one will also be going on a brief hiatus while I prepare for my CPA Exam at the end of February. But, also as mentioned on the others, if I happen to be struck by inspiration in the meantime, you may still get a new chapter before then. We'll see!
> 
> Thanks for reading. Love you all!


	16. Rebel Yell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow it’s been a hot minute. Sorry guys! I’ve kinda been lacking inspiration for this story but an idea came to me this morning and this was the result. Hope you enjoy!

Nino, Alya, Kagami, and Luka sat around Adrien and Marientte's living room in varying states of shock as they digested all of the information they'd just been given. Not only was Adrien Chat Noir and his father the notorious Hawkmoth, but Chat's partner, Ladybug, was none other than Marinette.

Most people would probably call it coincidence, but Kagami knew it was more than that. It was fate. She studied her old friend from her perch on the counter, where Luka stood next to her. She still couldn't quite believe this was happening.

She'd known about Adrien for years. He'd told her when they were teenagers, and she'd done her best to help him when she could, and cover for him when she couldn't. She couldn't say she was entirely surprised to learn about neither Gabriel nor Marinette, but there had still been a brief moment of disbelief when she found out.

Surely the universe couldn't be so cruel. Though she supposed Adrien had also gained a soulmate in the deal, so perhaps it wasn't entirely unfair.

Adrien had allowed Marinette to do most of the talking while he sat beside her, brooding slightly. It was a look she'd seen on him many times over the years, but as always, it didn't suit him. 

They had been silent for some minutes now, and Kagami knew from her years of training that their enemy wouldn't stay defeated for long. Their win had not been a decisive one. They needed a plan. 

"So, what do we do? Attack in waves again?"

"No," Marinette replied. "We've lost the element of surprise, he'll be expecting you now."

"Ok, so we all confront him at once then?"

"No, I want to avoid a fight if we can, though I'm not sure that's possible. In any case, I think it's safe to say he'll have a backup plan since his last one failed."

"So, what? We do nothing? Just wait to see what he does?" Kagami gave them both a skeptical look. The duo she knew always had a plan.

"No," Adrien said, looking around the room. "You're _our_ backup plan."

"What do you mean?"

"It's very likely he'll send out another akuma to distract us. Likely a much stronger one than we've seen yet. We need you all to control the damage until we can retrieve the moth miraculous."

"Stronger than her?" Nino asked increduously, pointing at Marinette.

"Maybe. She was fighting it the majority of the time. Whoever he sends now, will be much more determined."

"And what will you be doing while we're fighting this akuma?" Kagami asked carefully with narrowed eyes.

Adrien looked to Marinette who sat beside him, holding his hand. The group watched as a silent communication passed between them. She frowned and he set his jaw. They stared at each other for a long moment before she finally nodded.

"We're going to confront my father. As ourselves."

"What!?" came the simultaneous exclamation of the rest of the rooms occupants, including their kwamis. 

"Adrien..." Kagami warned.

"Are you sure that's wise?" Alya asked.

"You don't really think you'll get through to him do you?" Nino asked, frowning in concern.

"I doubt we'll be able to sway him much. He's been doing this for so long, I'm not sure he'd even know how to give it up. I think though, it's time he knew who he was fighting and it's well past time we took the fight to him."

"What is he after anyways?" Luka asked quietly, drawing everyone's attention. "Like you said, he's been doing this for years, we know he wants your miraculous. Mari, you said they could be used to, what- grant a wish? What could a man like that possibly want so badly?"

The group looked to Adrien who pursed his lips and turned to Marinette. "I have a hunch, but I'm guessing you know for sure?"

She pressed her lips into a thin line and nodded, confirming his suspicion. A dark look fell over Adrien's features as they again shared another silent conversation.

"Mind sharing with the class?" Alya asked. "What are we missing?"

"My mother," Adrien said. "He wants my mother back."

Another stunned silence fell before Marinette spoke again. "Regardless of what he wants, our goal hasn't changed. He _cannot_ be allowed to win. There's always a price to pay with magic. Especially when you try to play with time or reality. There are always reprecussions. The universe must stay in balance, and there's no telling what kind of repercussion there could be for bringing someone back from the dead."

A collective shiver passed among them.

"So what do we do?"

* * *

 

Nathalie watched on silently as Gabriel raged in his office, knocking over mannequins and sweeping the contents of his desktop to the floor. She'd had a suspicion their plan with Miss Dupain-Chang would not be successful, but she'd gone along with it, and now, they had not just two, but six superheroes to contend with.

Gabriel had been none too happy when she'd told him about the pair that had managed to take down her and gorilla in order to get back the ladybug earrings. They had prepared of course for the eventuality that their plan failed. Even suspected that the duo might seek the help of others. Gabriel had heard rumor of other miraculous, but they hadn't known so many were present in Paris.

Either way, she knew what was coming next, and she began to mentally prepare herself for it, allowing the negative thoughts and emotions she had suppressed for so long, rise to the surface.

Gabriel's tantrum was interrupted by the sound of the front gate opening and he approached the window to see his son's car pull into the drive. He had no doubt that as soon as she had been saved, Miss Dupain-Cheng had gone straight to tell him what she had learned. Sure enough, he saw her step out of the car behind Adrien a moment later.

He turned to Nathalie and quickly dismissed her. "Get somewhere secure and await my instructions. We're moving straight on to the next phase, with a slight modification, as soon as I deal with this."

She began to move towards the door that would convey her to his lair, but he stopped her. "No, I have a feeling that room is about to become a battleground. Find somewhere else."

She nodded curtly before leaving the room. 

Gabriel took a moment to compose himself, straightening the lapels of his suit and smoothing his hair before exiting into the foyer and nodding for gorilla to answer the door. He hadn't bothered to hide the dark pendant that lay on his breastbone. They knew who he was now. The time for secrets had passed.

Adrien entered the house, hand in hand with Marinette, wearing a much fiercer expression than Gabriel had ever seen on the young man. Looking him over he realized he hadn't been the only one wearing a mask in public all these years. His son now stood before him with all the confidence he'd kept hidden behind a meek exterior for years. It seemed he wasn't nearly the obedient son he'd always believed him to be, though he wondered how much of that was Miss Dupain-Cheng's influence.

"Adrien, Mlle." Hic voice was cold, as he stood on the lowest step of the staircase, looking down his nose at the pair.

"Hawkmoth," Adrien returned with a coldness to rival his own.

"So she's told you then. Has she told you everything? Why I'm doing this?"

"She has."

"I see. And you still don't agree?" He lowered his head to look over the rim of his glasses. "Do you not wish to see your mother again Adrien?"

"Not like this. And she wouldn't have wished it to be this way either."

Gabriel sniffed derisively. "What do you know about what she would have wanted? You were barely old enough to remember her."

"I was fourteen," Adrien snapped. "I remember her plenty. I remember she was a good woman. Kind and charitable. She never would have wanted others to be hurt just to save her."

He let go of Marinette's hand and took a step forward, relaxing his posture into something softer, trying to sway Gabriel to his way of thinking. "I accepted that she was gone a long time ago, father. I think it's time you did too. She's gone. We may never know what happened to her, but we wouldn't be the first to lose someone without any closure. People heal. They learn to move on, and we can too. Please, hasn't there been enough grief?"

Gabriel turned away from them, towards his office in a clear dismissal. "Go home Adrien. Stay out of this. Let your girlfriend and her friends fight this battle if they wish. When it's over, you'll thank me."

"I won't. I never will."

"So be it then." He raised his hand to push open the doors of his office.

"We won't let you do this. This ends now."

Gabriel paused at his words, something in his tone struck him as familiar. Turning, he saw the couple standing side by side, shoulders pulled back, and feet spread wide, as though ready to fight. " _We?"_

Slowly and with purpose, Adrien lifted his hand in front of him and curled it into a fist, showing his father the same ring he'd been wearing since he was a teenager. Gabriel had always wondered where it had come from and was hit with a sudden clarity as he saw a small black figure float above his shoulder. 

Wide, ice blue eyes met fiery green ones in a moment of shock. _No. It couldn't be._

"Plagg! Claws out!"

A flash of green was followed by a flash of red and Paris' saviors stood before Gabriel. He looked from one determined face to another before bolting into his office and disappearing through the trap door before they caught up with him.

His transformation fell over him as he walked into the light of his lair, the sound of the soft fluttering of wings the only other noise beyond his footsteps. Without hesitation, he called one to him, encasing it in his hands and imbuing it with power. Releasing it, he spoke quietly to it. "You know what to do my little akuma."

He watched it flutter out the window as he replayed the last few minutes and prepared for the fight that was coming. 

His son knew who he was, and what his mission had been, and yet, he still refused to help. More than that, it had been his son he'd been fighting all these years. Looking back on it now, so many little things suddenly made sense. Adrien's abrupt disappearances, especially from important events, his terrible excuses for his absences, they way Chat Noir often seemed to show up at convenient times. How had he not seen it?

It didn't matter now. His son knew the truth and he still wasn't on his side. If he wanted to turn his back on his family, then Gabriel would allow him. For now. In the end, it wouldn't matter.

* * *

 

Ladybug and Chat Noir burst through the door of the office and looked around at the damage Gabriel must have done when his last plan had failed, but the man was nowhere to be seen. 

"Where the hell did he go?" Chat growled.

"His lair I'm sure. The entrance must be in here somewhere." Ladybug began scanning the walls, running her fingers over the panels, looking for some kind of hidden latch or notch. 

"What do you remember?"

"Not much, just that it was dark and cold. I think it may have been underground?"

"That makes sense. There's a series of underground rooms that were put in when the house was originally built by some aristocrat in the 1700's. I think they used them as a sort of safe room during the revolution. I thought they'd been sealed off, but he must've had them reopened so he could use them."

"That's very interesting and normally, I'd be thrilled to go exploring. But we're on a bit of a time table, we need to find the entrance ASAP."

"I know," Chat muttered, scanning the room, randomly pulling out books from shelves and turning over objects, hoping for a key or lever of some kind. 

He'd been in this room hundreds of times, but only once before as Chat Noir. At the time he'd been attempting to protect his father from an akuma and hadn't paid much attention to the room itself. The irony was not lost on him. 

His eyes kept getting drawn to the portrait of his mother behind the desk and after a moment, he came to stand in front of it. Something about it was calling to him, though he wasn't sure why. He already knew it hid the safe.  

Frowning, he turned away, looking own at his feet while he tried to think. As he stared at the floor, he noticed a strange pattern of lines in the tile. Squeezing his eyes shut, he concentrated for a moment, then reopened them and looked again.

About a year ago, he'd discovered that not only could he see in the dark while transformed, but he could also pick up on heat signatures if he focused enough. Studying the floor below his feet, he soon realized that she small area where he was standing was slightly cooler than the rest of the room. 

_This must be it. The tunnel leads down._ He looked up again, scanning the space around him. _But how do we get in?_

Again his eyes fell on the painting, but this time he noticed something different. Fingerprints. Six of them, in a strange pattern. _That's it! That's the key!_

"My lady!" Ladybug turned to him and he waved her over, still looking at the portrait. When she reached him, he positioned her behind them so they were both inside the circle of cooler tiles.

"Hold still." Reaching up, he carefully placed his claw tipped fingers over the fingerprints he could see and pressed.

The canvas gave way, and he heard a metallic clicking and the hiss of released air. A moment later they were descending into darkness.

Ladybug wrapped an arm around his waist to steady herself and smiled. "Well done kitty."

As quick as it came, her smile vanished. "Are you ready for this?"

"As much as I can be, I think."

Her other arm reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze. "Just remember, you're not alone. I'm your partner, we're in this fight together."

Chat couldn't bring himself to speak, so instead he squeezed her hand back as they came to a stopped in a darkened, cavernous room. Cautiously, they stepped forward, drawing their weapons.

There was no sounds beyond their footsteps, and no sign of Hawkmoth anywhere. Ladybug wondered if he was lying in wait somewhere, or if perhaps he was in another room. Adrien had said there were multiple. 

When they had moved a short distance into the room, a row of light clicked on, illuminating a pathway. They could now see the room they were in was covered in stone, and plants seemed to grow in wild patches around the room. At the end of the pathway was a large, glass covered case.

The duo had stopped, freezing in their tracks when the lights came on, both now stared at the case in confusion. "What is that?" Ladybug whispered.

"I'm not sure," Chat replied, a sliver of unease running down his back. "We can check it out later. For now, we need to find my f- Hawkmoth."

Ladybug placed her hand on his forearm, but he refused to look at her. "Are you sure you're ok with this Chat? I can take him on myself if not."

"No," he said sharply. "I'm not letting you face him alone. He akumatized you last time. Let's just get this over with."

Ladybug pursed her lips but nodded and they began walking again, down another pathway that they could now see. They moved quickly but quietly, weapons at the ready for a few moments. Eventually, the hallway they were in ended at a large steel door. 

Chat prepared to call his Cataclysm, but the handle turned easily, and when they opened it, they found a room full of white butterflies flapping around in the light from a large skylight above. Hawkmoth stood in the middle of the room, with his back to them. They caught his last words spoken aloud, and knew he'd just created an akuma. 

They hoped their friends were prepared and that whatever it was he had released, they could handle without them. Ladybug slid open her communicator and sent off a short message to give them a heads up.

"Good luck," Hawkmoth said before turning to them. "Welcome _heroes._ "

"I like what you've done with the place," Chat drawled as he twirled his baton. "Really nailed the whole supervillain vibe. You really do have an eye for style."

"A trait, I clearly didn't pass on to you," he sneered, pointedly looking Chat up and down. 

"Pot, meet kettle," Ladybug said, waving at his truly frightening purple suit.

Hawkmoth's lip curled but he ignored the comment. "I'm sure you're both aware by now I have a plan."

"Of course," Ladybug said, beginning to swing her yo-yo now that she'd alerted their team. "As do we."

Hawkmoth smirked. "Yes, your little team of heroes. Quite untrained they are. Don't worry, they're about to be very busy. I doubt they'll be prepared for what's coming."

Chat growled. "Are we going to sit here and chat, or are we going to fight? Personally, I'd like to get this over with so I can be done with you for good."

"In such a hurry to lose your family are you son?"

"I lost my family a long time ago _father_. I found a new one."

"We'll see about that." Hawkmoth lifted his cane, twisting the top slightly before pulling a sword from inside. "Let's see how all those years of fencing training paid off shall we?"

There was a long, still moment, where no one moved, then, suddenly, they were all in motion as Ladybug and Chat Noir launched forward.

* * *

 

Elsewhere in the mansion, Nathalie emerged from a cloud of black and purple smoke. Taking a moment, to admire her new look in the mirror, a slow, rare smile crept over her face. 

Her skin was tinged blue, her head covered in a red and black visor and she wore a black jumpsuit covered in red accents. Her tablet, which housed the akuma now had a slight glow to it. 

Lifting her stylus, she jotted out a short note before using her finger to fling it off the screen. A bright red post-it note emerged, forming midair into a paper plane and flew out the window and down towards the sky light she knew would be open.

She felt the rush of power as the note found it's target and she used her akuma powers to imbue them with even more. She waited patiently for a few moments before her view was suddenly filled with thousands of dark red butterflies, spreading out over the Parisian skyline.

 

 

 


	17. Rebel Yell part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up, this is gunna get pretty angsty near the end. Be warned

"Carapace is a great name!" the turtle themed superhero argued to his fox themed partner who gave him a skeptical look. "Well what would you choose then, _Rena_?"

"Oh, I don't know," she replied with a sarcastic shrug. "Maybe Emerald Shell... or Shield. Since, you know, that's your superpower?"

Carapace opened his mouth to argue, but shut it again a second later. "That's... actually not bad." Rena smirked at him. "But I still stand by my choice."

"Can we focus please?" The heroine clad in yellow and black glared at them. "Ladybug said an akuma has already been released. We're supposed to be on the lookout. I think we should split up and look for it. When one of us finds it, we'll let everyone else know." She tapped the ear piece they were all wearing. 

Rena crossed her arms over her chest. "Hawkmoth knows Ladybug and Chat Noir are coming for him. He also knows we're their backup plan. We already know whatever akuma he's created this time will be coming for us. The plan was to let it."

"I know that," she, snapped. "But the sooner we take care of this akuma, the sooner we can get to the mansion to help them and end all of this."

"Relax Mitsubachi." Their fourth teammate placed his hands on Mitsu's shoulders. "Ladybug and Chat Noir have been doing this a long time. We need to trust their plan. Besides, it's two against one over there. I'm sure they can handle it."

"Viper's right," Rena agreed. "They got this. And so do we."

Mitsubachi sighed heavily, worried eyes scanning the horizon. "I just- I have a bad feeling this isn't going to be quite as simple as we planned."

"Uh..." Carapace lifted a hand to shield his eyes from the late afternoon sun as he squinted in the direction of the Agreste mansion. "What the hell is that?"

"Oh, there's no way that's good," Rena said, stepping closer to the ledge.

The foursome watched in growing horror as a massive dark cloud grew before dispersing into smaller clusters that spread across the city.

"Are those..."Viper's voice trailed off as one of the cluster grew closer. As it approached, they could see the solid mass was in fact several smaller somethings.

"Akumas." Mitsubachi's tone was filled with dread. 

A strange, unsettled feeling had been following her since she they'd first begun discussing their plan. From that moment, she knew their plan wasn't going to work as well as they'd hoped. She had these feelings from time to time, and was almost always right. She never enjoyed being right about these feelings, but never so much as right now.

"Lots of akumas."

The team exchanged glances, quietly pulling out their weapons. Rena reached up to touch her ear piece with a shaky hand. "Uh, guys. We've got a bit of a situation..."

* * *

"Yeah." Chat Noir grit his teeth as he pulled himself up from where he'd been slammed against a wall. It seemed their teammates had just discovered Hawkmoth's little 'surprise' for them. He and Ladybug were still a bit stunned by it themselves. "We saw."

"I'm so sorry guys," Ladybug told them as he jumped and dove around the room avoiding Hawkmoth's attacks. As usual, she'd recovered from her shock before him. He needed to get his head straight quickly before this fight got out of hand. "You're on your own. Just try to get as many people to safety as you can. And try to keep them calm."

"Yeah, easier said than done LB." Carapace's voice responded over the coms. 

They'd all decided on names before they left. It wasn't strictly necessary Chat supposed since his father already knew who Ladybug and now himself were. It wouldn't be much of a job to guess who the rest of their friends were. But it was standard procedure he supposed and they seemed excited to have superhero names, so who was he to take that from them?

_Focus Adrien. The longer this fight goes on, the more danger your friends are in. You need to finish this._

Chat took a deep breath, refocusing his thoughts as he charged back into the fight. For a moment, he and Ladybug seemed to have the upper hand, but it seemed they had underestimated both his strength and his determination. 

If Chat had had any delusions that his father wouldn't fight as hard after learning it was his own son he was fighting, he was sorely mistaken. Hawkmoth wasn't pulling any punches and despite their years of experience, he and his lady were taking a beating.

Hearing their friends struggling through their own fights over the shared coms didn't help, and soon Chat was beginning to lose faith they could win this fight. He tried a different tactic. 

"Father please. Stop this. You don't know what you're doing. You don't understand the cost."

"I understand it much better than you son. You two... you're nothing but foolish children with no true understanding of the powers your wield."

"Maybe, but are you really prepared to pay the price? Because the universe will demand a price." Raising his staff, Chat blocked Hawkmoth's blade, leaving him vulnerable to the accompanying kick to the ribs. 

"I would pay any price to save Emilie!"

"Even if the price is your son?" Ladybug asked. 

This seemed to give him pause. Long enough for Chat to get a solid shot in, but he recovered quickly. " _Any_ price," he said with a voice so chilling Chat felt his blood turn to ice. 

Hawkmoth intensified his attack then, coming at them both with more intensity than before. Each swipe of his blade more vicious, each punch and kick more brutal. Ladybug screamed in agony as Hawkmoth's blade managed to finally evade her yo-yo, plunging into her shoulder. 

"NO!" Chat roared as Hawkmoth ripped her earrings out, leaving Marinette, pinned to the wall and dripping blood. 

Chat attacked with a sudden rush of energy fueled by his anger. But Hawkmoth was now closer to his goal, and Marinette knew he wasn't about to let anyone stop him. Not even his son. Gritting her teeth through the pain, she grasped the sword impaling her to the wall and began trying to pull it out.

The edges of the blade cut into her palms and the pain in her shoulder was almost blinding but she finally managed. Stumbling to her feet, she held the sword in her good hand which unfortunately was not her dominate one. She wasn't as strong as Marinette as she was as Ladybug, but she couldn't just stand by. It wasn't in her nature.

By the time she pushed past the fog of pain enough to focus on her surroundings, she was dismayed to find she was too late. Chat Noir was face down on the ground, making no move to get up. Hawkmoth stood over him, holding his baton and extending it to pin Chat's hand in place. 

Chat groaned as Hawkmoth bent to pull off his ring, putting pressure on the baton and Marinette swore she heard bones breaking. A flash of green and now it was Adrien lying on the ground, disturbingly still. 

" _No_ ," she breathed.

Hawkmoth stumbled back, dropping his transformation and showing the first signs of exhaustion they'd seen from him yet. With a manic laugh, he held his stolen jewels in front of him, staring at them with wild eyes. 

Heart clenching painfully in her chest, and gasping for air, Marinette fell to her knees, too weak to remain standing and crawled over to Adrien. He didn't stir as she rolled him over, sobbing at his beautiful face covered in blood and bruises. 

Laying her head on his chest, she could feel it moving with his shallow breathing. He wasn't dead. _Yet._ She knew what was coming next though, and gathered him in her arms, holding him tightly tears streaming down her face.

Behind her, Hawkmoth had lost interest in the pair of them, as he cast off the moth brooch he'd worn for years and donned his new miraculous. Marinette couldn't bring herself to care however. If these were to be her last moments with Adrien, her partner, her lover, her best friend, then that was what she would focus her full attention on. 

Vaguely, she heard Gabriel speaking and knew their time was almost up. Squeezing Adrien more tightly to her, she held her breath as a wave of magic hit her, rippling out of the room they were in and across the city. 

* * *

 

In the streets, the panic and chaos that had reigned for the last half hour had turned to scared confusion. 

Rena lay flat on her back, grimacing from the bruises along her side. Viper panted and coughed on his hands and knees. Carapace and Mitsubachi were still standing but exhausted. 

They all exchanged worried glances as they tried to process what had happened in the last couple of minutes.

They'd been in the middle of battling some of the more recent akumas like Vixen and Style Queen when they heard Ladybug scream over the coms and Chat grunting and yelling as he fought before both suddenly went silent. 

A moment later, all of the akumas that had been attacking in the streets abruptly stopped and detransformed. The butterflies, now pure white, dispersed and disappeared.

"What does this mean?" Rena asked. "Did we win?"

A moment latter a wave of energy tore through the square, knocking them all off balance. 

"What _was_ that?" Carapace asked, looking around. 

Mitsubachi's head turned in the direction the wave had come from and felt her heart sink. "We need to get to the mansion. Now."

 


	18. Glass houses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so... this chapter ended up being way longer and way darker than expected. That’s what happens though when you write as you go instead of mapping the story out ahead of time I guess.   
> Anyway, hope you like, please don’t hate me lol

Marinette's entire body ached as she lay over Adrien. Sobs wracked her, irritating the injury to her shoulder with every shudder and heaving breath, but she couldn't stop. Her head lay on his chest as she clung to him, and was so caught up in her grief, she didn't realize the sound she'd been missing until she was startled by a hacking cough. 

Jerking up, her breath stopped all together as she watched Adrien cough and choke, face scrunched in pain as he brought an arm up to wrap around his ribs. For a moment, all she could do was gape at him. 

_I don't understand. Hawkmoth...._

"Mari?" Adrien rasped. Relief flooded her as he opened his eyes, brows furrowed while he studied her. Lifting his free hand, he winced and hissed in pain, shifting his examination to his bruised and swollen hand. 

"M-my ring. It's gone." He turned questioning eyes on Marinette, and it was all she could do not to let her expression crumble completely. 

"Your earrings..."

"I'm so sorry kitty." Tears started to flow down her cheeks again as she cupped his cheek with her hand, gently brushing away a bit of blood.

"B-but... he won?"

Marinette hung her head. 

"And I'm alive? How-" Adrien lifted his head off the ground, looking past her and froze. 

Marinette followed his gaze, looking over her shoulder to where Gabriel now lay in a motionless heap a few feet away. _...Oh God._

Adrien groaned as he scrambled up from the ground and hurried over. "F-father?"

Marinette watched, still half laying on the floor as Adrien brought his fingers to his father's neck, feeling for a pulse. After a moment, his expression fell, and a small sob escaped him. Her heart broke for him as he let tears fall, grieving a father who hadn't been there for him, but he loved anyway. 

"Is-is he...?"

"No," Adrien whispered. "But I don't- I don't think he's going to- last much longer."

In the corner of her eye, she say Plagg and Tikki floating nearby, looking very sad indeed. Catching Tikki's eyes, she held her hand out and the little kwami flew to her, hugging her cheek, while Plagg silently settled on Adrien's shoulder. 

While Adrien cried, Marinette spoke quietly to her kwami. "I don't understand Tikki. We thought if he got our miraculous, it would be Adrien who would.... What happened?"

"It's true that in theory, Adrien would have been the one to... pay the price. A loved one for a loved one. When Plagg and I were connected to him however, we could read his intentions. He wanted to sacrifice someone else... anyone else. An innocent." The kwami's face took on an uncharacteristically dark expression. 

"That isn't his decision to make however. He doesn't get to bend the universe to his will with consequence. He doesn't get to play God." A powerful energy seemed to surround her, making her appear quite intimidating, especially for such a small creature. Marinette often forgot that she and Plagg were spiritual beings that had been around since the dawn of time. They may be little, but they were far more powerful that she could ever imagine.

"What-" Marinette swallowed thickly, pushing down her fear at the tiny deity's obvious wrath. "What did you do?"

"Nothing really. We may be powerful, but even we can't control the universe," Tikki said calmly. "We do however, have a certain amount of influence..."

Marinette waited for her to go on, but she just continued staring darkly at Gabriel. Plagg was too far away for Marinette to see his expression, but she imagined he wore a similar one to his counterpart. He was after all, the God of destruction...

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of shattering glass in one of the rooms beyond. Startled, she and Adrien exchanged looks before gingerly standing, immediately on alert. Taking her good hand in his, Adrien started leading her to the door, when Tikki stopped them.

"Wait!" she hissed. "Your miraculous."

"Tikki, you must be exhausted."

"I am, but I won't leave you unprotected. Besides, we still need to fix the damage caused by Hakmoth's akumas."

Marinette gave the kwami a small smile as she replaced her earrings and scooped up the discarded moth brooch. "We can do that later, after you've had some rest."

"But you have no weapons, and you're injured-"

"It's ok Sugarcube," Plagg interrupted. "I have a feeling they aren't going to need any weapons." The tiny black cat, gazed darkly out into the hall. 

"Come on," Adrien said quietly, pulling Marinette through the door into the hall that had once again darkened. As they entered, the lights began turning on one-by-one again. 

Creeping slowly down the hall, they again found themselves in the large room with the strange glass case. Only now, the case appeared to have broken open, and standing beside it, was a beautiful blonde woman with bright green eyes. 

Beside her, Adrien gasped, his entire body tensing. "... _Mom?"_

The woman's brows pressed together as she eyed him in confusion. " _Adrien?"_ She looked between Adrien and the case several times before meeting his eye again. "How long have I been here?"

Adrien seemed incapable of speech as the woman, who could only be Emilie Agreste, approached with hesitant steps. "I don't understand, the last time I saw you- you were just a boy. A teenager..." She reached out to touch Adrien's face who flinched slightly at her touch before leaning into it with a sigh. "What happened to you my darling?"

Adrien continued to watch her with wide eyes, as though he were afraid if he blinked, she'd disappear again. Marinette wasn't much better, staring at the woman with her mouth hanging open. _It worked._

She knew magic was real, obviously. She'd spent years running around in a magical suit, protecting the city from a magical enemy and using a magical cure to correct the damage. She knew the theory of the black cat and ladybug miraculous wasn't just a theory, but it was very different to see the proof right in front of her. 

Gabriel had used the miraculous to bring his wife back... and he'd succeeded. 

Emilie reached out to touch Adrien's face who flinched slightly at her touch before leaning into it with a sigh. "What happened to you my darling?" **** ~~~~

Somewhere above them, was a large crash, followed by several other small ones and a few grunts and cries. Suddenly, a shower of debri fell through the opening in the ceiling that Marinette and Adrien had descended through earlier, followed by four brightly dressed bodies. 

"Ow," Rena wheezed.

"Get. Off." Mitsubachi growled, shoving Carapace off of her. He groaned slightly a he rolled over, flopping onto his back. 

Viper huffed out a laugh. "Well, that's one way to get down here. Where is here by the way?" Sitting up, he dusted himself off, scanning the room before his eyes fell on the three of them. "Oh."

Startled by the noise, Marinette, Adrien and Emilie stared dumbly at the group of heroes. Rena scrambled to her feet when she caught sight of them and ran over. She pulled Marinette into a crushing hug, quickly letting go when she cried out in pain. 

"Omg, Mari. What happened to you? Are you alright?" She gripped Marinette's upper arms, eyes scanning her head to toe. "We were so worried when we lost you guys over coms. We had no idea what was going on. Where's Hawkmoth?" 

"Easy Al- uh, Rena," Carapace held up his hands, trying to coax her back over to him. "Give her some space. It's clearly been a rough fight for them both. I'm sure they'll explain everything."

"Right. Sorry." Rena backed up, eyes bouncing from Marinette to Adrien, and then to Emilie. "Um... who are you?"

Emilie was studying Rena with a wonderous expression. She stared at the fox necklace Rena wore before turning to the rest of the team and studying them as well.

 "He was right," she breathed. "Gabriel was right."

"Right about what?" Rena asked with a frown. 

"The miraculous. He said there were more. That the guardian was hiding them from us."

"The guardian?" Rena looked downright bewildered at this point. It was then that Marinette remembered they never explained to the other about the guardian or the many other miraculous in the box.

"You mean Master Fu?" she asked Emilie, who nodded.

"Yes. He gave Gabriel and I the moth and peacock miraculous many years ago, but Gabriel always said there were others. More powerful ones. After we found the grimoire, we knew it was true. We tried to find them, but never could. Gabriel thought Fu was keeping them from us on purpose."

"You knew Master Fu?" Adrien asked sharply.

"Of course."

As Marinette watched Adrien's expression shift from shock to fury, realization hit her like a train. _Master Fu knew_. He knew who Hawkmoth was, probably this entire time. He'd known Adrien would be fighting his own father when he gave Adrien the ring. He probably even knew, or at least suspected what had happened to Adrien's mother...

She wanted to be sick. 

"Who the hell is Master Fu?" Rena blurted beside them, startling her.

"He's the guardian of the miraculous," she responded numbly. "He's where we got all of your miraculous and... he's also the one who gave Adrien and I ours."

A heavy silence fell over them as the pieces seemed to fall in place for the rest of the group. 

"Jesus, this family is fucked up," Viper muttered under his breath. He winced when Mitsu shot him a dirty look. 

"I'm sorry," Emilie said, drawing their attention again. "I'm afraid I don't understand what's going on. Why do you all look so... disturbed?"

"Right, who did you say you were?" Rena asked again.

"She's my mother." Adrien had barely moved since first laying eyes on her, and now stood staring at nothing, with a dark, brooding expression. 

Another wave of shock rippled through the room. 

"Holy shit," Carapace breathed, rubbing a hand over his hair through his hood. 

Huffing out an frustrated breath, Emilie took Adrien's hand. "Darling, please. What is going on? Where is your father?"

Adrien flinched, pulling his hand away and rubbing it across his mouth as he turned away from them all. Silently, Marinette lifted her good hand and pointed to the room they had just left. 

Emilie frowned at her son before hurrying down the hall and through the door. A moment later, her cries could be heard, begging them to send for help. No one moved.

"Is he... gone?" Rena asked cautiously.

Marinette eyed Adrien, his back and shoulders stiff with tension. "If he isn't yet, I imagine he will be soon."

"I don't understand? I thought if Emilie was back, that meant he'd won? If he's... gone, then..."

"Magic comes with a price," Mitsu said quietly. It was hard to read her expression with the mask on. She watched Adrien from where she stood, but the set of her jaw appeared more angry than concerned.

"Adrien!" Emilie rushed back into the room, latching onto Adrien's arm, eyes big and desperate. "Adrien, please! Your father, he-he's... oh God. I think he's dying. We have to help him. We need to do something!"

Adrien kept his head ducked, hands fisted at his sides, avoiding his mother's eyes.

"Adrien? Did you hear me? Your father is dying. He-"

"No."

"W-what?" Emilie stared at her son in disbelief. "You won't help him?"

"No. In fact, I don't even think that we _can._ " Adrien chuckled, the sound harsh and bitter. "He got what he asked for."

Emilie's hands dropped away from him as if he were on fire. "Adrien," she scolded. "He's your _father_."

Adrien met her eyes finally, and whatever she saw in them, made her reel back a step. "He hasn't been my father for a _very_ long time."

"What are you talking about? Of course he is. He loves-"

"No!" Adrien shouted, making everyone jump. "No, mother, I'm really not sure that he did." Turning on his heel, Adrien stormed off, disappearing through another door on the other end of the hallway.

Marinette debated going after him, but after seeing Tikki subtly shake her head, decided it was best to let him cool off for now. He still had a lot to process. They all did, but Adrien was the most affected by what they had learned that day.

"I-I-" Emilie stuttered, tears streaming down her face. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, calming herself and looked around the room, giving each of them an imploring look. 

"Will someone _please_ explain what is going on. I've clearly missed a lot of time, but I have no idea why, or what has happened to my family in the meantime. Why won't Adrien help his father? Why won't any of you? Aren't you supposed to be superheroes?"

Marinette took pity on the woman and stepped forward slightly, trying to determine where to begin. "I'm afraid Adrien's right. I don't think we _can_ help your husband. What happened to him... was of his own making."

"What? What do you mean?"

"I mean, that- he used magic, to bring you back. But, in exchange, it seems the universe decided to take him instead... to keep the balance."

"Balance? I don't- what do you mean 'bring me back'?"

Marinette took a deep breath, feeling extremely uncomfortable. "We, uh- we're not entirely sure what happened to you, but you... disappeared. Eight years ago."

Emilie sucked in a sharp breath, taking a small step back.

"It appears, your husband may have been keeping you down here somehow. I have no idea if you were actually dead or just... in a coma or something, but somehow he kept you... _preserved_ down here." She cringed at the word preserved. It sounded so morbid, but she couldn't think of a better way to put it, and really... the whole thing truly was quite morbid.

Emilie's eyes darted back to the glass case she must have been kept in, hands fluttering to her stomach, her skin going pale. 

Marinette opened her mouth to continue explaining but didn't know how. Luckily, Mitsu had no problem picking up the story. 

"After you _disappeared_ , your husband became withdrawn. Even more so than before. He pulled away from society completely, kept himself hidden away. He pulled away from Adrien too. Tried to keep him locked up where he would be 'protected'." Her eyes grew distant and she recalled what she knew. 

"I met Adrien about six months after you disappeared, when his father forced him into fencing lessons. He was so... lonely. And sad. We became friends that day, and I'm glad, because he desperately needed a friend. He had no one else. His mother was gone and his father had all but abandoned him."

"Eventually, a supervillain emerged, named Hawkmoth. He terrorized the city for years, praying on innocent people's emotions to create akumas."

Emilie's eyes widened in horror as she started to put the story together herself. She swayed slightly, and Marinette caught her, leading her to lean against the wall since she was too weak to hold her up herself. 

She attempted to catch Mitsubachi's eyes, trying to tell her to take it easy. None of this was Emilie's fault. Mitsu ignored her however, taking a step forward, her eyes growing harder, as her voice filled with venom. 

"Your _husband_ was destroying the city, demanding the black cat and ladybug miraculous. The miraculous wielded by your _son_ and his girlfriend. When he discovered that Marinette was Ladybug, he drugged and kidnapped her. Taking her earrings and forcing her to become an akuma to attack her partner. _Your son."_

_"No,"_ Emilie breathed, shaking her head, quietly sobbing.

"We were able to save her and retrieve her miraculous, and that was when we discovered who he was, and what he wanted. He'd been demanding those miraculous so he could use them to save _you_."

"I'm guessing that even after Adrien confronted him and he realized it was his son he'd been fighting all this time, he still refused to back down." Her eyes flicked to Marinette for confirmation, but she just looked away.

"I'm also guessing that he's the reason the two of them are so beaten up, since it seems he finally succeeded. The only problem is, that kind of magic, has a cost. An eye for an eye. In order to save you, someone else had to die. At first we all thought it would be Adrien."

Mitsu took another step forward, fire in her eyes as Emilie cowered against the wall.

"Even after he was told he might lose his son, he still went through with it, but I guess the universe has a sense of justice after all since Adrien is still standing and your husband is the one lying half dead on the floor." She laughed darkly. "Be careful what you wish for right?"

"That's enough!" Marinette cried as Emilie collapsed in tears. She took a step forward towards her teammate when the room started spinning. She swayed, her body listing to the right before catching herself on the opposite wall. 

Pain shot through her shoulder and down her arm as I connected with the wall and her vision grew blurry. She registered her name being called and felt several hands on her, before everything went dark.

* * *

 

"Mari!" Rena cried, lunging forward to catch her. 

The rest of the team surged forward, calling her name as well, which must've drawn Adrien's attention as he suddenly burst into the room. Catching her before she fell, he carefully laid her down, brushing her hair out of her face. 

After she'd showered earlier, she'd put on one of Adrien's black t-shirts, which, in the darkened rooms, had done a great job of disguising the stain spreading from her shoulder. 

"She's lost too much blood," he said. Placing his hands over the wound, he started putting pressure on it, hoping to keep it from bleeding any further. "She needs a hospital!"

"Well how the hell are we supposed to get out of here?" Viper asked. "That was a hell of a fall down and Mari's yo-yo and your staff are probably the only things we could use to get us up that high." 

"Tunnels," Emilie said quietly. Adrien startled, not realizing she'd moved to join them. "These rooms used to be used as a sort of panic room. There are tunnels and a staircase somewhere, you have to find them."

"On it!" Tikki cried, zipping away, Plagg following. A moment later they reappeared. "Found them! But it looks like the exit has been sealed. You'll have to break through it."

Plagg turned to Carapace. "Technically, I could do it, but my power is difficult to do without a wielder to control it and I don't have the energy to transform again. I could end up bringing the entire house down if I do it. You'll have to use your shield."

"Ok, let's go!" Adrien started to scoop Marinette up when Mitsu laid a hand on his shoulder. 

"Let them take her, They can get her there faster since their transformed, and you should really stay here... with your family."

Adrien looked to his mother and then the room where his father still lay. Closing his eyes, he swallowed past the lump in his throat and nodded. "Ok."

Pulling back, he allowed Viper to gather her in his arms. Following behind, Carapace took the lead as Tikki guided them back through the passage to the exit. Adrien watched them go before turning to Mitsu. 

"You didn't go with them?" 

"No. Her friends are with her, she's well taken care of. I'm staying here with you. My friend. For as long as you need me."

With a watery smile, he pulled her into a tight hug. "Thank you."

Turning back to his mother, he found her watching him with a small, sad smile.

"You've grown up so much. I can't believe I've missed so much. I- I'm so sorry my darling."

Reaching out, Adrien gathered his mother in his arms, holing her tightly. It felt- so good, to hold her again. More than he could ever describe, after spending years trying to accept that he never would again. 

After a long moment, she pulled back, caressing his cheek. "That young woman... you love her don't you?"

Swallowing hard, he spoke, his voice thick with emotion. "I don't just love her, mom. She's my soul."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah...


	19. When the dust settles - part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shortish chapter for you. Sorry in advance lol  
> Part two should be coming soon

Not long after the group of superheroes left, another body crashed through the ceiling of the cavernous room. This one however, was at least smart enough to use some kind of rope to help repel them down rather than straight falling. 

Adrien and his mother were still huddled together on the ground when a very disheveled Nathalie sat up, looking wildly about her. Her eyes moved from Adrien to Emilie before she scrambled to her feet and stumbled over the rubble towards them.

"Gabriel?" She called. "Where is he?"

"You knew?" Adrien asked. He watched as guilt flashed briefly over her face. Her hand lifted to brush over a familiar peacock shaped brooch on her lapel. "Of course you knew," he said bitterly. "You were helping him."

Her eyes darted again to Emilie, eyeing her warily for a moment. Adrien stood, hands fisted at his sides as he strode towards her. She cowered slightly at his dark expression as he towered over her.

"Why? Why would you do this? Are you truly so blindly loyal to him you couldn't see what he was doing was wrong?"

She raised her chin defiantly. "He was trying to help you, Adrien. He was trying to bring your mother back to you. And he succeeded."

Adrien nodded slowly. "Yes, he did. And I wager he lost far more in the process than he ever anticipated."

Her brow furrowed and she looked over his shoulder where his mother sat, watching quietly. "Wh-where is he?"

Adrien stepped back, gesturing to the room beyond. "See for yourself."

She moved to step around him but he stopped her. "I'll be having that first." He nodded towards the pin on her chest, and she clutched it possessively in her hand. 

Plagg appeared over his shoulder, glaring at her. "That doesn't belong to you," he said coldly. Nathalie flinched back, eyes going wide as she put the pieces together, eyes darting between Adrien and the black cat kwami.

"And it seems you've somehow managed to damage it. It's time Duusu and her miraculous were returned to their rightful homes, where they can be taken care of."

Adrien held out his, and she reluctantly handed the brooch over with trembling hands. Closing his hand over it, he carefully slid it into his pocket along with the moth brooch he'd taken from Marinette before she left. He would return them both to Master Fu the first chance he got.

Turning his back on Nathalie, he returned to his mother's side as she rushed towards the room where his father lay. He wrapped his arms around Emilie who began softly crying again as they heard Nathalie cry Gabriel's name, begging for help.

A sort of cold numbness filled Adrien, dulling his senses as he continued to sit there on that floor, surrounded by debri and covered in blood and dust. At some point, the authorities must have been alerted, as the underground rooms were suddenly swarming with police officers and paramedics. 

When asked questions, he responded robotically, giving them the explanation Plagg had coached him to give. He wasn't sue how he managed to remember any of it, with as displaced from the entire ordeal as he felt.

The official story was that Gabriel Agreste, with the help of his assistant Nathalie, had been using the moth miraculous to transform into the villain hawkmoth, creating akumas to collect the ladybug and black cat miraculous. His intention was to use them to restore his wife, who had previously been believed to be dead. 

Adrien had no knowledge of any of their activities, nor that his mother had been kept in a medically controlled chamber beneath the mansion for the last decade. He had arrived at the house by chance, just before the massive akuma attack in the city, and stumbled upon the fight between his father and Paris' heroes.

He and his girlfriend, had been injured during the fight as they attempted to aid Ladybug and Chat Noir, but Hawkmoth had proved too strong and too determined for even the four of them. Gabriel was able to heal his wife with use of the combined miraculous, but the magic took it's toll on him, hence the condition he was found in.

When asked about the masked heroes and the miraculous in question, Adrien informed the officers that Ladybug and Chat Noir had retrieved their own miraculous, as well as the stolen moth miraculous and left the scene when the rest of their team arrived and took Marinette with them.

When the chief of police was satisfied, he and his mother were released to follow the ambulance that had taken his father away, paramedics checking over them both, and treating the more minor injuries Adrien sported. His hand was wrapped in a splint, but couldn't be properly set until it was x-rayed at the hospital.

He felt nothing, not even flinching when the bones in his hands were prodded and moved into place, some being set with pins, and almost the entirety of his upper arm strapped to a stiff board to prevent movement. 

Once treated, he was permitted to find his friends who waited, along with Marinette's parents for word on her condition. His mother sat silently at his side, holding his good hand, while the others talked quietly around him, occasionally glancing at him with looks full of pity. 

The TV in the waiting room chimed to indicate an incoming report as the news finally broke on reveal of Hawkmoth and his defeat. Upon hearing his father's name spoken by the announcer, much of the numbness that had surrounded him dissipated and he shot up from his chair, pacing angrily across the room. 

Alya quickly scrambled for the remote, rendering the screen black and silent, though he knew the reporter in her was desperately interested to hear the story being reported, despite having been part of it herself. 

Eventually, the surgeon appeared, informing them that though she had lost a lot of blood, the wound to Marinette's shoulder had been relatively clean. No major damage beyond some severed muscle tissue. She was expected to recover full mobility with time and proper physical therapy. 

The entire group breathed a sigh of relief, tearfully embracing each other. Exhaustion hit Adrien full force, and he was no longer able to hold back his emotions. He was helped into a seat as his knees gave out, arms wrapping around him (his mother he assumed), pulling him into a warm embrace as he sobbed. Fingers combed gently through his hair, easing the tension in his body and further encouraging the torrent of tears.

He remained like that until fatigue carried him away into oblivion.

* * *

 

Every muscle in his body seemed to ache. Shifting carefully, he took stock of each painful twinge and pull, before determining it was the throbbing in his hand that had pulled him back into consciousness. 

Blinking his eyes open, he found his left hand resting in front of his face, looking quite gruesome with the swollen, and bruised skin, occasionally stuck through with metal pins. The first thing he noticed was that his ring had been removed, presumably due to the swelling in his fingers. He vaguely remembered  his mother taking it from him as the doctors worked. Something cold and metallic touched his chest as he shifted again. Reaching with his free hand, he found the ring strung on a thin silver chain around his neck. 

Satisfied that his miraculous hadn't been taken, again, Adrien shifted his attention to his surroundings. He was lying on his side, on a cot in a dimly lit room. Using his good hand, he carefully sat up, the blanket that had been draped over him, falling into his lap. 

Peering into the room, he found his lady asleep in a hospital bed, hooked up to a machine monitoring her vitals, and an IV that was slowly administering fluids. Behind her, Tom and Sabine were dozing in chairs at her bedside, hand-in-hand.

Cradling his injured hand, he stood as quietly as he could, his body protesting at the movement, begging him to rest more. He ignored the ache, and forced his legs to move him forward. He needed to see her for himself. To know that she was alright.

Standing over her, he gently brushed a strand of hair from her face. Her skin was cool to the touch, and paler than it should be, but still with more color than it had the last time he saw her. 

Her eyes fluttered at his touch, slowly opening to reveal deep sapphire irises. "Kitty," she rasped.

Leaning down, he pressed a soft kiss to the side of her mouth. "I'm here princess."

He had tried to speak softly, but even still, Marinette's parents stirred at the sound.

"Marinette?" her mother asked, leaning forward in her chair. 

Adrien stood to give them space as she turned to them with a weak smile.

"Maman, papa."

"Oh, my little baguette. You had us worried." For such a large man, Tom showed a surprising gentleness as he cupped his daughters cheek and kissed her forehead. 

"I'm fine papa," she assured them. She tried to lift her hand, but apparently lacked the strength, as she let it fall back to the bed.

"I'll get the nurse Adrien said quietly, stepping towards the door. He longed to wrap her in his arms and never let go, but he knew her parents had been worried sick ever since he'd informed them of her kidnapping. He had seen for himself that she was alive and well, and knew that she would recover and soon be home with him. That would have to be enough for now.

A small hand wrapped around his wrist, and he turned to see Sabine giving him a tearful smile. "Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you for saving her."

He swallowed thickly. He may have saved her from his father's akuma, but he hadn't truly been able to keep her safe from him entirely. He remembered the blind panic that he'd felt as he watched his father's sword pierce her suit, and heard her scream. The ghostly paleness of her skin as he held her in his arms while she bled out.

His gut twisted painfully, but he nodded. "Always."

Sabine released him, returning to her daughters side. He watched the little family for a moment before slipping quietly into the hallway. He stopped a passing nurse to inform her Marinette was awake, and asked if she knew where his mother was. He was directed to a waiting room on the floor below.

Passing a large window, he noted it was dark outside, probably just after sundown. It had been about the same time when he'd left the mansion, and he wondered how long he'd been asleep. At least a whole day it seemed. Shaking his head, he continued in the direction the nurse had indicated. 

When he entered the small room, he found it empty aside from his mother who stared, unseeingly, at the wall. Kagami sat quietly at her side, rubbing slow circles into her back. Given how long he assumed it had been since arriving, he assumed the rest of their friends had either gone home, or perhaps in search of food. 

Kagami looked up at him, face blank, as soon as he entered. He looked back at her, a question in his eyes, and she shook her head slightly. Breathe seizing in his lungs, he stepped into his mother's line of sight. Her green gaze snapped to his identical one and her face crumpled, giving him all the answer he needed. 

His father was gone.

Despite their history, and everything that he had done, the news hit him squarely in the chest, forcing out a choked sob. He fell to his knees in front of her, laying his head on her lap, like he used to as a child. Kagami quietly excused herself as Emilie hunched forward, laying one hand on his head, the other wrapping around his shoulders and they cried together.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FYI, I’m looking for potential beta readers for an independent novel I’m working on. It’s a very rough initial draft that I literally wrote in less than a week. I’d like to hear from some unbiased readers about what they want to know more about in the story (aka which parts need further development), what they like/don’t like etc. I’m thinking about potentially publishing. 
> 
> If you’re interested, hit me up on tumblr: tiggertink08


	20. When the dust settles - part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 🤦🏻♀️ I realized after publishing that I made a continuity error in the last chapter when I had Adrien take the peacock from Nathalie after having Kagami and Luka take it from the safe in a previous chapter. My bad  
> I haven’t figured out how I want to rewrite that yet, but I’m sticking with the original story line. 
> 
> This chapter isn’t particularly plot heavy but there is a lot of background info. And I’m sorry but it’s not a light one with any fluff either.

Two dark figures move swiftly over the rooftops of China Town cloaked under the darkness of a moonless sky. A week after the events at Agreste mansion, the city of Paris is celebrating it's freedom from the man that had terrorized it for the last eight years. The end of an era; and no one is looking towards the rooftops for a glimpse of the red polka dotted superheroine and her partner anymore. The pair go unnoticed.

A metal baton extends onto a third floor balcony and the two descend, landing on quiet feet. A black, claw-tipped hand reaches out, parting the curtains to reveal the sleeping figure of a small, old man on a low mat in the center of the room. Looking over his shoulder, Chat nods to his partner. Identical green eyes peer back at him behind a dark blue mask, nodding back as they slip silently into the room, stepping to either side of the sleeping man.

Chat holds out his re-collapsed baton, carefully extending it again, just long enough to tap the mans chin, jolting him awake.

"Chat Noir. Paonne," the old man greets the duo, sounding unsurprised to be woken in such a manner in the middle of the night.

"Master Fu," Chat responds, a hint of disdain in his voice.Glancing at his companion, she watches him warily, her lips pressed together. Nodding once, she returns her gaze to the man at their feet.

His mother hadn't entirely been on board with his plan, but she understood his anger. They'd retrieved the damaged peacock miraculous from Kagami who had been holding onto it after finding it in the Agreste safe and, with a little help from Tikki, managed to repair it. The only way Emilie would agree to allow Adrien to confront Fu, was if she joined him. She didn't want him to come alone and risk his anger getting the better of him. Not wanting to become like his father, he'd agreed.

Taking a deep breath to reign in the emotions running rampant inside him, he looked back down at the man as well. 

"I assume you aren't here to return the miraculous you borrowed?" the man said calmly.

"Return them?" Chat asked incredulously. "You really think after what you've done, any of us trust you with them? You failed, old man. It's time to pass them, and your knowledge of them, onto someone more worthy."

Fu's lips thinned, but he didn't argue.

"We're here to retrieve the remaining miraculous and any other writings or artifacts you possess relating to them. You'll pass on everything you know to whomever we choose, so we can ensure they will _actually_ be safe moving forward. But first... you have much to answer for."

Fu closed his eyes, sighing wearily. Reaching up, he gently pushed Chat's staff out of his face and climbed to his feet. "Very well," he said, shuffling down the hall. Waving for them to follow, he flicked on a light in a distant room. "I think perhaps, some tea is in order," he called from the kitchen where they heard him shuffling about, moving pots and dishes, water running, and the crackle of the stove being turned on. 

With a glance at each other, mother and son followed, taking seats on the cushions surrounding a low table the old man gestured to. The three sat quietly, legs crossed while they waited. Fu sat with his back straight, eyes closed, his hands resting on his knees, as though meditating.

Once the kettle began to whistle, Fu removed it from the heat, dropping a sheer bag full of dried leaves into the pot, and set it aside, allowing it to steep while he removed three small cups and saucers. Again they all sat quietly for a few minutes, until the tea was poured, a light, soothing aroma filtering into the air between them through the steam. 

Chat's eyes never left the man as he took a small sip, allowing the tea to warm him. It was still midwinter and the evenings were still very cold. His suit protected him from the elements, but a bone deep chill seemed to have settled over him from the moment he'd been told his father had died. 

It was a strange thing, mourning someone who'd been more absent than present in his life. To grieve a father who'd never put much effort into _being_ a father. Still, he'd lost first one parent, and then another, and though his mother had been restored to him, it had been so long since he'd seen her, she still felt like a stranger most of the time. 

It would take time to adjust to this new normal. He didn't want to do something he would regret in his grief, but the need for some kind of retribution was too strong to ignore. Thus, he now sat across from the man he held largely responsible for the situation he now found himself in.

While Chat gathered his thoughts, Paonne broke the silence. "You know why we're here Fu," she said softly. "Besides the miraculous."

Fu nodded, remaining silent while he sipped his tea. 

"Why did you give Gabriel and I the jewels to begin with?"

Setting his cup aside, Fu slowly met her eyes. "It had been many years since anyone had sought the miraculous. After the collapse of the temple, Most of the evidence of their existence had been erased, besides what I had managed to salvage."

"I was unaware the grimoire had survived until your husband arrived on my doorstep asking questions. To this day, I'm still not sure how he found me, but I knew he wouldn't rest until he had answers. Until he saw the jewels for himself."

"At the time, there didn't seem much harm to it. The miraculous hadn't been in use for decades, but his interest was genuine and I sensed no malice in him, or you. I'd only been in Paris for a short time, and, as an immigrant, it was a particularly tense time. I didn't see the harm in releasing the butterfly and the peacock into circulation. They didn't possess the kind of power the ladybug and cat did, and they were, historically, used from a distance, rather than being directly involved in conflict. Influencers more than do'ers, so to speak. There was a potential to do real good..."

Chat found himself listening attentively, despite his earlier agitation. He was deeply curious about his parent's life before he'd been in the picture. He searched his memory, trying to remember the bits of history he'd learned from his tutors. The 90's, when he assumed these events to have occurred, before he was born, had been wrought with tension among France's citizens and those immigrating to the country. With that context in mind, Fu's decision to distribute the moth and peacock made a little more sense.

"I kept an eye on them," Fu said, speaking to Chat now. "Nothing serious happened, and your father had begun to relent his inquiries about the other miraculous. Then you were born, and your parents became less active. I agreed to allow them to keep the miraculous, there didn't seem much harm, but we eventually fell out of touch."

"I'm not sure what happened to your mother," he glanced at Paonne. "I saw the headlines with the news of her 'disappearance' along with the rest of Paris. I tried to reach out to your father, but he had already begun to retreat from the public eye. He wouldn't speak to anyone."

"I'm not entirely sure what happened myself," Paonne admitted. "We hadn't used our miraculous since before Adrien was born. When you were old enough that you didn't need to be supervised 24/7, we decided to give them another go."

Her eyes grew distant, remembering.  "When we'd used them before, we would foray out into the city, but we stayed hidden, working mostly from the shadows. It was exhilarating though, the power, the speed, the strength. We just wanted another run..."

Paonne's brow furrowed, a slight frown turning her lips down. She refocused on Chat as she continued. "Things had changed since the last time we'd been active. The entire world seemed a much tenser place in general after the attacks in New York. The world was at war again, even if it was mostly just the US, it was relatively close to home, and growing closer."

"We came across a group of young men, harassing an immigrant family who appeared of Middle Eastern descent. We could've just used our abilities, but we were still riding the rush of power at being in the suits again, and stepped into the middle of it instead. What we didn't know, was that the young men were armed. We were able to hold them off long enough for the family to get away, but not before one of them pulled a gun..."

Chat stiffened, his tail going rigid, ears twitching. He had a feeling he knew where this story was going, and he didn't like it.

"The shot was so loud, my ears were ringing. I was knocked to the ground by the force of it. I don't think he really meant to do it. They all panicked as soon as the gun was fired, running off before Gabriel or I really registered what had happened." 

"The shot hit the brooch, cracking it nearly in half. Probably saved my life, but the damage was done. Gabriel had to practically carry me back home. By the time I detransformed, both Dusuu and I were both fading rapidly. I could barely get out of bed, and Dusuu… she was in bad shape. I don't remember much of what happened after that, or even how long it was before I was put in that... _contraption_." Mother and son both shuddered at the memory of the glass, coffin like device Emilie had apparently been kept in all these years.

Chat's heart felt like it was beating in his throat. He remembered when she disappeared. He'd been a boy still, and hadn't really understood what was happening. All he knew was his parents had gone out one night, and he never saw his mother again. He knew something was going on, his mother's rooms had been locked, only his father, a servant and a private doctor allowed admittance; but no one would answer his questions. And then, one day, his father told him she was 'gone'. 

The news broke that Emilie Agreste had 'disappeared' not long after. Police were in and out of the house for days. They didn't speak to him, his father using his status as a minor to shield him from any inquiries. The story in the news didn't make sense to Adrien. It didn't seem to make much sense to anyone really, but after a year or so, the city's interest in the story died down, and the constant presence of detectives and the media faded.

"I didn't know much about what was going on then, still don't," Chat said quietly, staring at the table. "Father kept me away from most of it. As soon as he told me you were gone, he began isolating us both more and more. I was too caught up in my own grief to protest much. By the time I was old enough to understand that it wasn't healthy, it was too late. Most of time was spent cooped up in the house, with tutors and bodyguards when I wasn't at photoshoots. Father had too much control. And then came Hawkmoth... Chat Noir was the first bit of real freedom I'd had in a long time."

Paonne, reached over, squeezing his hand where it lay in his lap, still clutching his empty tea cup and he winced in pain. With Plagg and Tikki's help, his hand had recovered considerably, but it was still tender. He looked up at his mother's tear filled gaze and squeezed back. The guilt in her eyes was enough to tear him in two. They may never fully understand his father's mindset, or his motivations, but none of this was _her_ fault.

He hadn't made things easy on her since her return, keeping her at arm's length when she was hurting too. Perhaps more, for all the time she had missed, all the things that had happened in her absence. The things that had been done to and for her without her consent... He vowed that once they were home, he would make more of an effort to spend time with her. To try and rebuild their relationship, and make sure she knew he didn't blame her for anything that had happened.

That thought, reminded him why they were here, and he turned back to Fu. "Why me?" he asked, unable to help the bitterness in his tone as his anger began to rise again. "You knew who Hawkmoth was. Who my mother had been. You knew who I would be up against. Why would you choose me?"

A contrite expression took over the old man's face as he met Chat's eye. "It wasn't my original intention. Your father came to me, sometime after your mother's 'disappearance'. He was erratic, desperate. He wanted to know where the ladybug and cat miraculous were, begged me to help him. It didn't take much to figure out what he wanted them for. Nooroo had told him what they could do; against his will, I imagine. It's not in a kwami's nature, or best interest to give away such secrets, even to their own wielders."

"I asked if he understood the consequences of using such magic. He said he did, but in his state, I don't think he fully comprehended what it would mean if he did manage to use the wish. I tried to talk him down, but he wouldn't listen. He attacked me; but I haven't guarded the miraculous this long for nothing. I was able to fight him off, relocated somewhere new, and used wards to protect my location from him."

"A few weeks later, Wayzz sensed a dark energy from the moth miraculous, and then Hawkmoth struck for the first time. I didn't have long to find a way to stop him. I couldn't do it myself. The turtle miraculous is powerful, but I was just one man, and an old one at that. I knew he wanted to draw the ladybug and black cat into the open. It was safer for the miraculous to be in the possession of new wielders than to keep them hidden any longer. He would find me eventually, and this way, there would be someone who _could_ fight him. Someone who could help protect the people. The innocent bystanders."

"The ladybug and black cat have always been a pair. One is never active without the other, and the pairings throughout history have never been by accident. Only a pair with a specific kind of connection could wield them safely."

"A specific connection? What, like... soulmates?" Chat felt silly saying it out loud, but it wasn't the first time he'd thought the word in relation to his relationship with his lady. Perhaps there was a reason for that.

"In a way, yes." Fu nodded. "The ladybug and black cat are two halves of the same whole. That doesn't always mean there was a romantic connection between them. Sometimes they were lovers, certainly, but just as often they were close friends or family. Siblings, cousins, even parent and child." 

"I found Marinette first. The moment we saw her, Wayzz could sense her energy. She was the perfect match for the ladybug. Then it was just a matter of finding her mate. Once I slipped the earrings into her room, she technically had possession of them, and we were able to sense the energy of her other half. When I realized it was you... I didn't want to give it to you. It was too late however. You were her chosen partner; there wasn't time to find another pair, and to attempt to circumvent the bond between the miraculous would've been dangerous."

"Ok, fine," Chat spat. "So we were the chosen pair, whatever. Once we'd been chosen, why didn't you tell us who Hawkmoth was if you knew? Hell, why did it take so long for you to reveal yourself to me in the first place? It was nearly two years before I even knew there was a guardian. Ladybug wouldn't tell me, at your insistence apparently."

"I had my reasons, though I know you won't appreciate them. When you first became Chat Noir, you were reckless and impulsive. A trait common in black cat wielders, but it made you a liability at first."

Chat growled, and Fu held up his hands placatingly. "You still saw being a superhero as a game, and given the way you'd been raised, it was understandable, but until you began to take it more seriously, it was safer for you not to know. Even Ladybug didn't have all of the information at first. I'd never worked with such a young pair before, I wasn't sure how much was safe to tell either of you. You had Tikki and Plagg to help you, and I gave you information as it became relevant. When the time was right, I revealed myself to you both. Believe it or not, your partner didn't know for much longer than you did."

Anger simmered hot in Chat's chest, but even he had to reluctantly admit that Fu had a point. He _had_ been reckless when he first started. He _didn't_ take it seriously. He didn't have the maturity to understand their responsibilities and what they were up against. Not like his lady had. It was one of the reasons he initially fell for her. Her poise and conviction. Her dedication.

"That still doesn't explain why you didn't tell us about Hawkmoth."

"I couldn't," he said simply. "The same magic that binds the kwami from revealing their wielders applies to the guardian. I could only reveal myself, not Hawkmoth. I couldn't even reveal the two of you. Only you had that power. I did try to point you in the right direction when I could, however. Though, admittedly, I could have done more."

The old man hung his head. "As time went on and you were still unable to defeat him or discover his identity, I'm ashamed to say, my faith wavered. I wasn't sure you would ever succeed, but I couldn't take either of you out until the situation was resolved. It was too dangerous. I began to doubt. Almost gave up more than once."

He looked up at Chat with remorseful eyes. "I never should have doubted either of you. It is true you weren't able to stop him as intended, but neither of you ever gave up. You fought till the end. If I had believed in your more, perhaps things might have gone differently. Who's to say now, though? We'll never know."

"You were right. I failed you. Both of you. You may not have defeated Hawkmoth in time, but because of your sacrifices, the city and the miraculous are safe once again. So many owe you a debt they can never repay, nor even fathom." 

"If you believe the miraculous would be better protected with another, I will not argue. I have been the guardian for many years already. It is perhaps passed time I passed that right on." A rueful smile tipped the corner of his lips. "I trust your judgement. I will share what I know with whomever you and your partner deem fit. I only ask one thing."

Chat's eyes narrowed suspiciously. He was surprised the man had capitulated so easily. Though he supposed guilt and old age were powerful motivators. "What's that?"

"Don't just keep them locked away. In the past that may have been the best way to keep them safe, but in this day and age, information is too readily available. They are no longer a secret, and no doubt others will come looking for them." Fu's expression was calm but held a sense of urgency that Chat couldn't ignore.

"Keep them in circulation, with people you trust. Distribute them all over the world if you like, so they aren't all in one place. They don't all need to be active at once, that in itself is dangerous, but they all deserve to be used from time to time. The kwami have lived in isolation as much as you have, but they are just as fascinated by the outside world. A world they helped create many eons ago. They should be allowed to interact with it."

"No one should be charged with protecting them for too long. I held that burden for far too long to be sure. It also shouldn't be a burden for one person alone. Keep passing on the knowledge and responsibility. You can create a new order to protect them. Rebuild the one I accidentally destroyed all those years ago."

"You want us to right your wrongs," Chat remarked disdainfully.

"You may be the only one's who can," Fu replied. "It is perhaps unfair to put any more responsibility on you, and unfair of me to ask, but you were chosen for a reason. This is your destiny now. Your story to write. You can give it a new beginning."

Chat stared at Fu for a long moment, the old man calmly holding his gaze. He was still angry, but he'd gotten the answers he came for. He'd gotten what he wanted in the promise of a new guardian. Part of his still screamed for revenge, but the rational side of him knew it would solve nothing. It may make him feel better temporarily, but in the end would only compound his grief. He'd accomplished what he set out to do tonight, and had been given an opportunity to change the future. It was time to go.

Glancing at his mother, she watched him silently, her expression solemn and thoughtful. She nodded once, as though agreeing with his thoughts, and the two stood to leave. With barely a word in goodbye, they disappeared back into the night. 

 

Running along the rooftops, Chat allowed his thoughts to settle, considering all that he had learned and deciding what to do next. He wouldn't make any decisions without his lady; they started this together, and they would decide how to move forward together. 

He thought briefly of visiting her. She'd come home from the hospital a few days ago and had been staying with her parents while she recuperated. Tikki's magic meant she would be good as new very soon, but the battle had been emotionally draining on her, as much as it had him. Her parent's had been beside themselves since they first found out she'd been taken, and as much as he wanted her with him, he conceded to their claim on her as her parents. He still saw her every day, so he had little reason to complain. 

It was late however, she would surely be sleeping, and he was loathe to disturb her. He could catch her up later. He needed more time to process anyways. 

It occurred to him as they approached the mansion, and slipped inside that his mother had been silent since telling her side of events back at Fu's place. He turned to find her watching him with a strange expression.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she whispered. "I just- I've been considering how all of this has affected you. Your father's behavior, his treatment of you. This world you've been thrown into. I never wanted any of this for you. I'm still having a hard time believing what became of your father... but, I couldn't be more proud of you. Of the man you've become in spite of all of that."

She stepped forward and reached up to cup his cheeks, and he leaned down to meet her. A strange ache filled him every time she touched him, and he was just starting to understand what it was. Yearning.

He'd missed her and her touch and her gentle manner. He'd been without it for so long. Since he'd met her, Marinette had given him more affection that he could ever hope for, but it wasn't quite the same. Nothing could ever truly replace a mother's love.

"I hate that I couldn't be here for you when you needed me. That your father was too consumed with his own grief to be there for you. He'd always been a bit distant with you, from the moment I told him I was pregnant. He was a selfish man, even then. I don't think he liked sharing me with you, but I had hoped he would come around. I'm so sorry that he didn't. That I- left you with him."

Her voice broke as tears choked them both. Adrien shook his head, trying to tell her it wasn't her fault. He didn't blame her, but she shushed him before he could utter a sound.

"Whatever happened between you and your father, I want you to know, that you were always loved. That you were always wanted. I loved you with every fiber of my being. You were my baby boy. My angel. My sunshine. And I loved you- _love_ you, more than anything else in this world. I promise, I will never abandon you. You will never be alone."

What little was left of Adrien's composure crumpled then, and for the second time since her return, he found himself on his knees, clinging tightly to his mother while she comforted him like a child. 

When he'd calmed down, she suggested they both get some sleep. It was bizarre being back in the mansion, and neither he nor his mother were comfortable being in their old rooms and had taken to staying in rooms in the guest wing as they hid out in the mansion, riding out the media storm.

After changing into sweats and a t-shirt, he allowed his mother to tuck him into bed, brushing the hair out of his face, and kissing him goodnight. It seemed strange as a grown man, but he'd been without this for so long, and it was so soothing to the turmoil in his mind, that he reached out to stop her when she got up to leave. 

"Don't leave, please." His voice was small, and he would've been embarrassed at such a display of vulnerability if he wasn't feeling so small himself right now. He could be an adult tomorrow, right now he felt like a little boy who needed his mother, and she was content to indulge him.

With a small smile, Emilie left her slippers beside the bed, laying down atop the mattress across from Adrien. She ran her hands through his hair until his eyes fluttered shut and his breathing evened out. Her soft voice, the last thing he heard as he drifted off to sleep.

"Sleep, my darling. I'm here."

 

 

 

 

 


	21. When the dust settles - part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This two parter turned into a three parter but this is the last one and this time we get another perspective besides Chat/Adrien. 
> 
> So I think there are still a good few chapters left in this but it’s obviously winding down. Kinda crazy, this started as a one shot and had become a 20+ chapter story and my most popular so far.   
> So much love you guys! ❤️🥰

Marinette woke to find Adrien's side of the bed cold and empty. Again.

It had been a little over a week since the fight with Hawkmoth. She'd been released from the hospital the day after she woke up, when she showed _miraculous_ improvement, thanks to a little aid from Tikki's healing magic. As soon as she was recovered enough, she was able to use the miraculous cure to set the city back to rights after the mass akuma attack.

Her parents had wanted her to stay with them for a few days while she continued to recover, and she reluctantly agreed. The grief she'd felt when she thought she had lost Adrien after Gabriel made his wish was still fresh, and she hated the thought of not being near him. However, she knew her parents had been a wreck throughout the whole ordeal, and Adrien needed some time to get reacquainted with his mother, and grieve the loss of his father. 

When Alya and Nino had visited the other day, they told her about the caravan of reporters practically camped outside the Agreste mansion, and the few lingering around the bakery. "It's a damn circus!" Nino had growled. "Don't they have any respect for people's privacy? Regardless of what the man did, he was still someone's father and husband. Why can't they just let them grieve in peace? They'll get their story eventually."

Marinette had watched Alya carefully as she chewed her lip while her boyfriend paced and raged. Her friend was uncharacteristically quiet and Marinette sensed she was having a bit of an internal ethical debate. 

Alya had always been an.... aggressively curious person. When she first started the Ladyblog and began following Ladybug and Chat Noir's battles, her voracious appetite for any possible scoop meant she often asked very prying questions and put herself in danger, just for a good shot with her phone. Marinette suspected that, being so closely connected to this particular story, she could finally see how such behavior affected people first hand.

Though Adrien came to see her every day, it was easy to see how withdrawn he was becoming; even with those he knew he could trust. He barely spoke to anyone, even her, since learning of his father's death.

He would then climb into her childhood bedroom through the skylight in her ceiling almost every night, dressed as Chat Noir. Usually, she was getting ready for bed by the time he arrived. He would silently help her change into her pajamas when she struggled with her still healing shoulder, and carry her up the stairs to her loft bed. Cuddling next to her, he usually didn't speak, simply holding her until she fell asleep. By the time she woke up in the morning, he was gone.

She told herself he was just grieving, processing. A lot of things had changed for him that night. His entire world had been turned on it's head. Surely, once he had come to terms with the loss of his father and return of his mother, he would start to open up to her again. Her kitty would return to her with a bit of time, patience and understanding on her part.

Still, she couldn't quite keep her insecurities at bay. 

Just before everything that happened, he had asked her to move in with her. Even given her a key to the new apartment he had gotten for the two of them. They had been looking forward to starting a new chapter in their life together. 

Now, his father was gone, leaving his company, and the only career Adrien had ever known, in jeopardy. His mother had returned from a nearly ten year absence, only to find her son a grown man, and her husband a criminal who had torn the city apart and then died in his attempt to save her. 

She knew how much his mother's absence had affected him. Knew that she needed his help as she acclimated to her new life, and uncertain future. She also knew that they would both be wading through a very complex sea of emotions as they mourned a man they probably weren't entirely sure deserved to be mourned. 

Grief had a way of changing people. What if all of the revelations and upheaval of the last few days broke him? What if it swallowed him up until he was no longer the man she knew and loved? What if he no longer wanted her? Decided that being with her was too painful a reminder of everything that had happened? What if he and his mother decided to leave Paris and start over, and she never saw him again?

She shook her head, swiping away the tears on her cheeks. She couldn't think like that. He needed her to be positive and strong. Wallowing would certainly help nothing. Besides, he still came to her every day, and held her close at night. Even if he was gone before she woke, that had to mean something, right?

Tikki had told her that Ladybug and Black Cat pairs were always chosen for their compatibility. They were soulmates. That sort of bond was unbreakable. He would come back to her... he had to.

Below her, she heard the creaking of hinges as trap door entrance to her room swung open. She sighed, sitting up, expecting to find her mother with a tray for her breakfast as usual. Instead, she was momentarily stunned to see Phillipe smiling up at her.

"Good morning, darling! I'm sorry I didn't visit before now, but, as you can imagine, it's been absolute chaos at the office. But I'm very happy to see you're doing well." He climbed into the room, as impeccably dressed as ever, closing the door behind him and peered curiously around. 

After she moved out, her parents had begun using the space as a storage room, but the room was still filled with remnants of her younger years. Walking towards the desk, Phillipe fingered one of the dozens of fashion photos pinned to her wall with a smirk. 

Turning back to her, his expression turned somber. "Like the rest of Paris, I've heard about what happened, though I'm sure the media is missing most of the story, as usual." He gave her a knowing look. 

They had never discussed the fact that he had somehow managed to learn her identity, yet, just like in the hall during the Style Queen attack, she knew instinctively that her secret was safe with him. 

"I can't imagine what that must have been like for you. And Adrien, of course." His lips pinched together, looking at her with sympathy, not pity. "I am, however, very glad you were both there, and are relatively unharmed. Paris owes you both a far greater debt than it knows."

Marinette bit her quivering lip as she attempted to maintain her composure. The shock still hadn't entirely worn off, and she knew it would take some time for her to fully process that it was all over. 

Phillipe cleared his throat and straightened his posture. "I apologize for stomping by so early, and unannounced. I wish I were here for simply a social visit, but I'm afraid you and I have both been summoned by the board."

"The board?!" Marinette's eyebrows shot up. They were all aware of her involvement in the events of that evening, at least according to the official story, and she had been granted leave to recover. Why would they suddenly want to see her now? 

She knew the news revealing Hawkmoth's identity had severely damaged the company's image. No doubt they would be scrambling to distance themselves from the company's founder, in an attempt to salvage what was left of their reputation. 

There was already much speculation about Adrien's position as the company's spokesmodel being terminated. Would they extend the same treatment to _anyone_ connected with the Agreste's?

"I'm afraid I'm as much in the dark as you are my dear. I thought, perhaps, it might be easier if we go together. For... moral support." He gave her a small smile that squeezed her heart. Phillipe had been the best mentor she could have ever hoped for. He'd been with Gabriel since the beginning and she hoped the board wouldn't punish him for that.

Nodding, she swallowed the lump in her throat. "Thank you." Her voice was quiet and hoarse, raw with emotion. 

Perking up, Phillipe pasted on a smile, and clapped his hands together. "Now, we can't have you go to this meeting unprepared. What say you, we go find you some fabulous battle armor, hm?" He wiggled his eyebrows and she couldn't help but giggle. 

After climbing out of bed and brushing her teeth, she said goodbye to her parents who handed them both pastries and coffee as she followed Phillipe outside to a waiting car. They chatted idly as they rode and ate, thankfully keeping Marinette's mind occupied and away from her darker thoughts. 

When they arrived at the company's headquarters, he ushered her straight up to the design floor. It was early, but it was also a workday, and she was surprised to find the floor virtually deserted. 

"Many of our newer hires jumped ship as soon as the news hit," Phillipe explained quietly, leading her to the sample room. "Most of the senior designers are still here, though I suspect they're already in talks with other design houses, just in case."

Marinette shivered. The eerie stillness of a room usually so full of life, filled her with dread. 

"None of that now," Phillipe said, taking her hand and pulling her into the room. "It's not over yet. Keep your chin up."

He tugged gently on her hand, pulling her through the racks of clothes with a determined look on his face. Rows of colorful fabrics swirled past her as she walked until Phillipe brought them to an abrupt halt.

"Ah, ha!" He pulled a hanger draped in bright red fabric and eyed it thoughtfully. "Yes, this will do very nicely I think."

Moving further down the aisle, he plucked another hanger covered in a silky black material. Taking her hand again, he pulled her to the back of the room where curtains hung from the ceiling in box like shapes, creating makeshift changing rooms. Thrusting the hangers into her arms, he held open one of the curtains and ushered her in. 

"There, try that on," he instructed, dropping the curtain.

She held the hangers in front of her, discovering the black material was in fact a halter blouse with a cowl neck and the red, was a wide-leg pant suit. She eyed them both, making no move to put them on. 

"These are made for models," she called through the curtain. "I highly doubt they'll fit."

Phillipe chuckled. "Darling, this is a fashion house, and I am a tailor. If they don't fit, I will make them. Now come on, the meeting is in an hour and I need time to make alterations if necessary."

She heard his footsteps move away from her and panicked slightly. "Where are you going?"

"To the accessory room. I'll be right back. Stop dawdling." She heard him clap twice, *chop chop* before his footsteps faded away. 

Tikki appeared before her as she continued to eye the garments. "Breathe Marinette!" She smiled encouragingly. "You can do this. It's going to be alright, I can feel it. I am the goddess of luck after all."

Marinette sighed, hanging the clothes on one of the hooks mounted to the wall. "You're right Tikki." With a deep breathe, she started undressing, setting her own clothes aside and carefully pulled on the samples Phillipe had given her. 

There was no mirror in the little dressing room, but she was pleasantly surprised to find the clothes fit. The pants were a little snug in the hips and the hems would need to be taken in a few inches to accommodate her smaller stature, but there seemed to be few other alterations needed.

"Ready?" Phillipe called from the other side of the curtain. 

Pushing aside the curtain, she stepped out, careful not to trip on the over long pant legs. Phillipe looked her over critically, before smiling. "Perfect. Here, put these on." He thrust a pair of black pumps at her and held her elbow to steady her while she did as instructed.

He took a step back, nodding approvingly. "Yes, much better. With those shoes, we only need to hem the pants a little bit."

He knelt below her, and began pinning up the bottoms before standing again and circling her slowly. Tugging a few times on her blazer to get it to sit where he wanted, she felt him pin a couple of darts in the back to cinch the waist a bit more. 

Helping her remove the jacket, he surveyed her once more before again nodding approvingly. "I think that's all. The pants are a bit tight up top," he pinched the fabric around her hips. "But it doesn't look too bad with the jacket and trying to let them out will take too long."

He helped her out of the jacket before placing a hand on her back, and gently pushed her back into the curtained cubby. "Go ahead and give me the pants so I can work on them and just sit tight. Won't take but a moment."

Doing as she was told, she paced in the small space while Phillipe worked on the other side of the curtain, whistling away. Tikki watched her quietly, not commenting, but giving her an encouraging smile whenever she glanced her way. 

"Done!" Phillipe announced  pushing the pants back through the opening. She carefully pulled them on and slipped back into her shoes before exiting. Phillipe was just finishing off his last stitch on the jacket, which he helped her back into before holding up a few pieces of jewelry to her, ultimately deciding on a plain silver necklace with a simple red pendant.

"Now, the finishing touch!" he said, unraveling a red and black scarf with a flourish.

"What's the point of a cowl neck and a necklace if I'm going to wear a scarf?"

"It's not for your neck silly," he tapped her on the nose before opening the large square and carefully folding it into a triangle, then rolling it onto itself a few times. "It's a sling. You're still meant to be injured remember? But that doesn't mean you can't still look fabulous."

He helped her tie her arm to her side, securing the silk sling with a fashionable knot at her shoulder. A quick fluff of her hair, and a swipe at a smudge in her makeup and he pronounced her ready.

The pair made their way up to the executive floor together, stopping outside of the large conference room with a few minutes to spare before their appointment. A receptionist had buzzed the room when she saw them emerge from the elevator so the board knew they were here.

Phillipe took her hand. "Chin up, love." He could say no more as the door opened and they were ushered in. 

Stepping up to the end of the conference table together, she nervously glanced around at the men and women around the table, watching them with blank expressions. At the head of the table, Marinette recognized a familiar face smiling back at her.

"Hello, darling!" Audrey Bourgeois greeted, gesturing for them to sit. "I'm so glad you could make it. I was worried when I heard what happened the other night, we all were." Her smile slipped briefly before brightening again.

"I'm sure you've both heard plenty of rumors surrounding the company in the last few days, but I'm happy to say we invited you both here with _good_ news."

Marinette and Phillipe exchanged a glance, perking up slightly. Did this mean their jobs were safe? Even if they were, with so many people leaving, what would be left of the company for them to work for?

Another man Marinette had never seen before, but that looked vaguely familiar spoke next. "Obviously, the news concerning the late Mr Agreste's… _activities_ over the last few years has been damaging to the company. All is not lost, however. We are still financially stable, and we believe that with the right rebranding, Gabriel Fashions can rebound under a new name and management."

Marinette held her breath, squeezing Phillipe's hand beneath the table, as they both waited to hear why the board had seen fit to send for them both in person if the ship apparently _wasn't_ sinking like everyone thought. Surely if it was simply a matter of telling them their jobs were safe, it could have been accomplished through a phone call or e-mail?

"It has been brought to our attention that the two of you were largely responsible for the hugely successful holiday campaign this year. Mme Bourgeois has also assured us of your talents, and is of the opinion that the two of you have the style and ability to redirect Gabriel's focus moving forward."

"It is, therefore, our pleasure to offer you, M Dubois, the position of lead designer, and you, Mlle Dupain-Cheng the position of junior lead."

Marinette felt like the wind had been knocked out of her as she stared at the board members, wide eyed-and slack jawed. Beside her, Phillipe wore a similarly stunned expression, though he did appear a tad more composed than herself.

"We're currently in the process of putting together a new executive team, including a marketing team you will both be working closely with, however, we are giving you both free reign to build your own design team. You, along with the new marketing team, will be in charge of renaming, and rebranding the company, pending board approval, of course."

Realizing her jaw was still hanging open, Marinette snapped it shut, straightening in her seat. Phillipe followed suit, clearing his throat as he resituated himself. When still neither spoke, Audrey laughed.

"I daresay they're both in shock. I'm sure they both thought they were being let go, given their association with Gabriel. I, for one, hate to see talent wasted, however. If anyone can turn this ship around, I'm confident it's you two." She winked at them. "So, what do you say? Are you in?"

Marinette blinked, her mouth speaking before her brain could catch up. "What about Adrien?" she asked.

The board shifted uncomfortably, but Audrey smiled kindly at her. "Adrien will be fine. Obviously, given that he was Gabriel's son, he can no longer represent the company. Even if none of us blame him for his father's actions, the public opinion can be a tricky thing. It's best for everyone if he steps down from his position."

"He and his mother inherited Gabriel's interest in the company, however, so they'll both be well taken care of financially. I think though, you and I can both agree that Adrien's passion was never in modeling. He did it to please his father. Now, he will have the freedom to pursue whatever course he desires."

Marinette considered that for a moment and realized, she was right. She'd seen Adrien when he was working. He was good at what he did, but his heart wasn't really in it. It was still the only career and life he had ever known. With all the other upheaval in his life, she wasn't sure being let go from his job was the greatest thing for him right now.

Still, she knew as well as everyone else in that room, that Adrien's image wasn't what the company needed right now if it intended to survive. It wasn't as though he was in any condition to work right now anyways. Not while he was still grieving. She supposed, if he ever decided he wanted to get back into modeling in the future, she would be in a position to help him to do if she took this position.

Still debating with herself, she looked at Phillipe who was watching her carefully. He raised a brow when she turned to him, seeming to be challenging her silently. "I'm in if you are," he said quietly. "I can't think of anyone I'd rather work with."

Pressing her lips together, she allowed a small smile. Coming to a decision, she nodded once and turned back to the rest of the room. "We're in."

* * *

 

After a long discussion with the board pertaining to the details of the transition, Phillipe and Marinette rode to Le Grand Paris for a celebratory brunch. The hotel was known for housing celebrities and other notable figures who visited the city, and was well known for their discretion, meaning they wouldn't be interrupted by paparazzi looking for a snapshot of Adrien's girlfriend.

They spent a pleasant few hours bouncing ideas off of each other for everything from a new name for the brand, to their next line. They had a lot of work to do if they wanted to be ready in time for Spring Fashion week, which they both admitted they may have to miss that year while rebuilding, but Marinette returned home feeling energized and exciting about the future again.

A few cameras flashed in her face as she attempted to enter her parents bakery and she kept her head down, trying to hide her smile. It wouldn't do for Adrien's girlfriend to be seen grinning and in a good mood while her boyfriend was still mourning the loss of his father, criminal or not.

She waved to her parents once inside, attempting not to get in their way as they dealt with a busy lunch crowd. Her parent's spared her a quick greeting as she skirted behind the counter and into the main house. 

Business had picked up at the bakery after Marinette's name had been released to the press, and plenty of curious people had shown up, not only to try the delicious offerings of the Dupain Patisserie, but to try and get a glimpse of the girl who'd help defeat Hawkmoth.

Once upstairs, she quickly discovered why there seemed to be more photographers outside just now than there had been that morning. Adrien stood in the kitchen, arguing with Plagg over the cheese he had nabbed from the family's fridge. She smiled at the scene; it was the most animated she'd seen Adrien in days, and it was a welcome sight.

Adrien hadn't noticed her yet as his back was to her, jumping slightly when she wound her arms around his waist and leaned up to kiss his cheek. "Hello chaton."

"Hey princess," he said, turning to wrap her in his arms as well. He scanned her outfit and frowned. "Where have you been? Your parents said you left with Phillipe early this morning?"

She bit her lip, a little nervous of what his reaction to the news would be. "We got called in by the board this morning... they want us to be the new lead designers as the company rebrands."

Adrien blinked at her several times. "Oh."

She grimaced at the lack of emotion in the word. She couldn't tell what he was thinking. Was he upset? Would he be happy for her, or would he ask her to turn the job down?

"You said yes?"

"We did," she nodded.

He was silent for a  moment, before nodding slowly. "Good."

"You're not upset?"

"No... I hadn't really thought about it with everything going on, but it makes sense they'd want to rebrand. I'm sure they'll ask me step down as well, though no one's reached out yet. You and Phillipe are the perfect ones for the job though. I always thought father's vision was a little too stiff to be honest. The two of you can finally breathe life into that place."

Adrien smiled softly and kissed her temple while she stared at him, a little taken aback by how well he was taking everything. "You're not- I mean, you don't- you're really ok with this? You won't work there anymore. You're career is over. That is- I don't mean to say that- I just-"

Adrien chuckled, kissing her on the mouth this time to stop her rambling. "I don't care about my so called 'career'. It brought me to you, but otherwise, I could care less that it's over. I never really liked modeling anyways."

"But- what will you do now?"

Adrien shrugged. "I'm not sure. Never given it much thought before. Never was able to. I might go to college. Maybe do some traveling that doesn't involve working. Maybe I'll just  play piano with my mom all day."

He smirked at her, pulling her closer. The change in attitude from the last few days, was jarring but not unpleasant. "Maybe I'll just stay at home and be a sex slave for my new sugar momma." 

She giggled as he nipped  her ear, trailing kisses down her neck until he was on his knees, hands on her ass, looking at her with an innocent expression. "How may I please you, my lady?"

Plagg dove into the fridge with a disgusted "my poor innocent ears!" while Tikki followed him, giggling.

"Stop it, you goof." Marinette pushed Adrien away with a finger to the nose, enjoying his grin as he got back to his feet.

"Seriously though, I'm happy for you. This will be great for _your_ career. You're going to be brilliant. As for me," he tilted his head to the side in a half shrug. "I'll be just fine. Just need some time to figure out my next move."

She grinned back at him, pulling him down for another kiss. All the insecurities that had been plaguing her that morning disappeared like puffs of smoke. He was still coping, and she was sure there were still some rough days ahead of them, but she knew in that moment they would be fine.

Adrien's face suddenly turned somber and he stepped back, looking her in the eyes. "I did have a reason for coming over today, besides seeing you, though... We need to talk."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m really contemplating this whole “new guardian” thing and I admit I’m on the fence. I’d love to hear what you all think. Who do you think should be the new guardian(s)???


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